


Surgical Overflow and A Retrieval Operation

by LeoBananaPhone0829



Series: The Bad Batch and The Reaper [7]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Body Horror, Canon-Typical Violence, Injury, Magic, Multi, OC is a plant with extra steps, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Polyamory, a small amount of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:15:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 34,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24802171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeoBananaPhone0829/pseuds/LeoBananaPhone0829
Summary: The siege on Anaxes has dragged on for weeks. Something isn't right. The droids are never this smart. Commander Cody calls in the Bad Batch to help him investigate. What will happen when an old friend resurfaces after everyone thought he was dead?
Relationships: Clone Force 99 | Bad Batch/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Bad Batch and The Reaper [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1665424
Comments: 70
Kudos: 127





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Part seven!! I've been waiting to write this one since the beginning. I hope you enjoy!!

Commander Cody stares at the comm link in his hand. He's asked them for help plenty of times before, it won't be any different this time. He sighs before clicking it on. The sound of distant explosions and shouts cut across the line. "Commander, it's good to hear from you." Hunter's gruff voice sounds.

He takes a breath. "Sargent, I need your help. A retrieval mission on Anaxes. I'll send you the orders as soon as I can."

There's blaster fire and a woman shouts. "Wrecker, what do you have?!" Officer Grimm, he's glad to hear her voice. 

"A knife!!" Wrecker bellows at her while laughing. 

"NO!" Her voice is cut off by an inhuman roar. "Ohmygods! kriffkriffkriffkriffkriff! Nonono!" He can tell that she ran by Hunter at a dead sprint. 

"I'm glad she settled in." Cody chuckles. 

Hunter huffs. "We'll be there soon, Commander. Hunter out." 

\------------------------------

"We were almost just fucked by a bunch of giant bugs." She mutters to herself. 

"You're orders are different than ours. You'll be helping with surgical overflow with Helix and Coric? We are working with the 501st as well it seems." Hunter hands her the datapad. 

"Insects, Hunter. Insects." She says again. 

"Who's CT-5597?" Tech chirps. 

"His name is Jesse. And it's ARC-5597 now." She gives him a pointed look, Jesse worked hard for his ARC status. He's been through enough bantha shit in his time, he deserves the position. 

"Alright, who is CT-6116 then? He's a medic?" He asks. 

"Oh, Kix and Jesse. That makes sense. There's never one without the other. I'm pretty sure they're batchers." She says as she scrolls through her orders. She groans. "Of course they would want me in whites. Would it be any other way?" She sighs dramatically. 

"The wrinkly lump in the bottom of your bag? You're going to put that on?" Crosshair snarks. 

"It'll be fine." She turns away nervously, she has to work with the 501st and the 212th again. 

"We touch down on Anaxes in thirty minutes. We will be leaving with Cody and his squad immediately. Get ready." Hunter orders. He turns to her. "I want a weapon on you. Take your sidearm, and your vambrace. If they have a problem with it they can go through me. I won't have you in the dark while we're out there." He gently grabs her chin. "Worry about your surgeries, not us. We'll be fine. It's just an easy retrieval mission, nothing we can't handle."

She smiles. "Just try not to crash this time. That's all I ask." 

"No promises!" Wrecker calls from the cockpit. 

"You four are going to be the death of me!" She calls back. 

"Love you!" Wrecker sings back to her. 

She turns her attention back to Hunter. "I have to go try and unwrinkle a uniform that's been in the bottom of my duffel bag for the past three months." She sighs. 

He leans forward and plants a kiss on her forehead. " _Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum"_ He murmurs. 

"I love you too. I'll be fine. Just take care of them." She whispers. 

\--------------------------------

The white medics uniform doesn't look as bad as she thought it would, the white stands out against the dark interior of the ship. "Has anyone seen my beanie?" She asks as she moves through the ship. Hunter and Crosshair share a nervous glance. "Oh no. That was a gift!" 

"Tech, go get it." Crosshair bumps his brother. 

Tech slinks off before coming back with something hidden behind his back. "You've been with us for three months today." His eyes are bright as he hands her the dark grey beanie, it has 99 embroidered on the front of it. 

"Oh, you guys are so soft." She runs her fingers over the white thread. 

"You're one of us." Crosshair has a small smile gracing his features for once. 

She slides the hat on and tucks her hair into it. "Thank you." She pulls Tech into a hug. 

"Strap in, we're approaching hostile air space." Hunter calls from the cockpit. 

Tech pushes past her to get back to the cockpit. "It's going to be rough!" 

\--------------------------------

Kix watches the shuttle approach the landing strip. The flight crew scatters as the ship speeds through the air, coming in hot was a severe understatement. He shares a look with Jesse. "So why haven't I heard of this squad?" Rex asks Cody.

"Experimental unit Clone Force 99, defective clones with, uh, desirable mutations." Cody explains. 

"99, eh? Huh, nice touch." Rex looks down in thought for a moment. 

"They call themselves, The Bad Batch." Cody continues. 

As if on cue the door to the shuttle opens and a clone in dark grey and red armor walks down the stairs, cracking his knuckles and rolling his neck. The next clone doesn't even look up from his handheld, he wears a modified suit of scout armor painted a lighter grey and red. Kix is shocked at the next two figures, one incredibly tall and skinny, crossing his arms over his chest. The other is huge, at least six eight. They both wear the same dark grey and red that the first one wears. The largest one takes off his helmet to reveal nasty scarring covering the left side of his face, his left eye is dead, a milky white covering it. "The cavalry has arrived!" He shouts. 

Kix swears he sees movement in the ship, a white uniform streaks by the door before disappearing again. He shares a look with Jesse silently saying that 'these guys are insane. Either they are going to kill us or themselves, maybe even both.' He's even more shocked when they take off their helmets, the skinny one has grey hair and sharp features, the lead clone, probably the team leader has a skull tattooed across his face. It puts Jesse's Republic cog to shame. "These guys are clones? They don't look like clones to me?" Utter disbelief fills his voice. The scout trooper takes off his helmet, he's smaller, fairer than the rest of them, his hair a lighter brown. 

"Sargent, it's good to see you again." Cody clasps hands with the man. Why is his hair so long? And why was it cut so badly? And the bandanna?

"You too, sir." His voice is even raspier than theirs. 

Cody turns to them. "This is Hunter."

"Sorry we're late Commander, we were putting down an insurrection on Yalbec Prime when your comm came in." Hunter explains. "Had a few unforeseen," He pauses looking for the right word, "Complications." 

The biggest one laughs. "Ever fought a male Yalbec?" His voice bellows, he's one of the loud ones, just like Hardcase was. 

"Um. No, can't say I have." Jesse answers. He can tell that Jesse doesn't know what to think of them, they're different, that's for sure. 

"You're lucky. Only way to kill em is with one a these." The mountain pulls out one of the biggest vibroknives he's ever seen. Somehow it looks completely proportional compared to the rest of him. Rex even flinches a bit. 

"That's right, Wrecker here cut off the queens stinger while she was still alive." Hunter turns to the brute, apparently named Wrecker, it fits. "That's why all those Yalbec males tried to eat us-" 

The smaller one pushes through the other two, "Technically they were trying to mate with us. And for your information the stinger of a Yalbec queen is a delicacy on some planets." He's a know it all. 

Cody has a fond look on his face. "They call him Tech."

Hunter bumps the smaller clone. "Yeah, he can fill your head with useless info for hours." He points his thumb to the skinny one behind him, he has a toothpick in his mouth. "Crosshair on the other hand is not much of a conversationalist, but when you have to hit a precise target from ten clicks, Crosshairs your man." He turns back to Cody, "So, Commander, what kind of suicide mission do you have for us this time?" 

Kix looks over at the ship one more time as he makes his way to the gunship. A small form creeps down the stairs in a white medics uniform, a hat pulled low onto their head, medpac slung over one shoulder, a vambrace matching the rest of the teams armor sits on their left arm and a pistol is strapped to their waist. He's small, smaller than Tech, the uniform barely fits on their frame. He loses him in the crowd before boarding the gunship. 

Kix just hopes nobody dies on this one. 

\------------------------

She walks through the throngs of troopers and flight crew towards central command. Someone there could probably tell her where the medbay is. She weaves through the hangar before she finally spots it, she's surprised to see Master Windu standing at a holotable, hands braced against it as he stares into the blue projection. 

A deck officer walks over to her. "Can I help you with something?" He asks. 

"I'm looking for the medbay. I was hoping someone could steer me in the right direction?" She asks hopefully. 

"I will escort her there. Thank you, Jex." Windu stands behind the trooper. With a nod Jex leaves. 

"It's good to see you again, Master Windu." She smiles politely at the Jedi. She didn't miss using the feigned officer politeness. It felt so fake. 

"Why are you here if you don't mind me asking?" The man tucks his hands behind his back.

"My team was called in by Commander Cody. My orders are to help with surgical overflow, sir." She tells him.

"I'll escort you to the medbay, the medics will be glad you're here. We have more and more injured every day. I'm not sure how much more the men can take." He tells her. 

She just nods and listens. He walks beside her telling her about the siege that has lasted way too long and the mission that Cody and Rex were sent on. They stop in front of a set of doors. "Thank you for the escort, General." With a nod he leaves. 

The medbay is in chaos, worse chaos than usual. She looks for someone who could point her in the right direction when she hears sobbing from one of the curtained off rooms. A crying trooper isn't something to take lightly. She pokes her head in to see a trooper with bandages across his back and chest, sitting on the bed and two others sitting on either side of him. "They're going to send me back!" He sobs to his brothers. "I can't go back." She's heard of the clones being decommissioned and sent back to Kamino if they were too injured to continue fighting. Nobody knows what happens to them after that. His brothers try to whisper comforting words but it doesn't seem to be working.

Their heads swivel to face her when she opens the curtain just enough to fit through and closes it again. She picks up the troopers chart. "Significant damage to the nerves in neck and back. Loss of sensation in the right arm. Trooper, whats your name?" She looks over her chart. Her mind continues to work away at the problem, she knows if she can get to his spinal cord that she can easily heal the damage, she's done it many times before. 

"Chase, ma'am." He tries to gather himself. 

"Chase, I'm going to fix this. My name is Medical Officer Grimm and I'll be your surgeon. I need to go find either Helix or Coric, and sine your stable it might take a little while to get you in but I can fix this." She smiles at the trooper. "I won't let them send you back. I promise. Just give me some time." She lays a hand on his left shoulder. "It'll be okay. I'll be back." She smiles at the trooper again before slipping out of the curtain to find Helix. 

\-----------------------

Reaper was going to kill them. Not only did they crash but Commander Cody is severely injured. She won't be happy when she has to clear them. Tech takes out a small specimen jar from a pouch on his belt and crouches in front of the small red plant. He digs around it with his fingers and snaps a small portion off. 

"What are you doing?" The medic asks from his spot next to the ARC trooper. 

"Fever Ink-Needle. As the name suggests when it pierces the skin it will cause fever and hallucinations followed by a very painful death." He holds the specimen out for him to see. 

"Why are you collecting it?" He shies away from the plant. 

"Our medic collects poisonous plants. We haven't found a decent specimen in some time. It'll make for a nice surprise when we all have to be cleared later." Tech slips the plant into the jar and drops it back in his belt. Nothing wrong with a little bribery. 

"What was that medics name? Grimm?" The ARC nudges the medic. Tech perks up when he hears his medics name.

"Reaper, yeah. She collected poisonous plants too. She was an odd one." Captain Rex butts in. Odd? She isn't odd at all. 

"We'll be here until sunrise. Try and get some rest." Hunter turns to the group, trying to move the conversation elsewhere. 

He moves over to where Cody is laying on the ground, he seems to be sleeping or maybe he just lost consciousness. Either way he doesn't look good. 

Tech sits against the rock that Cross is perched against and pulls out his handheld and sends Reaper a message: _How are things in the medbay?_

She replies almost right away: _Not bad, you caught me between surgeries. How are things out there?_

He hesitates before replying. _We crashed. Cody is injured but everyone else is okay._

He can almost hear her sigh. _I told Hunter not to let you guys crash. I have to go. Please be safe, Reaper out._

He smiles a little. _Love you, Tech out._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: Medical procedures

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Give me some feedback, let me know what you liked or didn't like. You guys are amazing

"I need a trauma surgeon on this next evac! Grimm, you're up!" Helix yells across the medbay. 

"Yes sir!" Reaper calls from the makeshift exam room. She moves past the nurse and follows the voice. "Can someone get me a kit?" She calls into the chaos.

A medic emerges from nowhere with one. "You'll meet Kix there, ma'am. Captain Rex didn't relay very much to us." He explains as he walks her out of the room and into the hangar. 

"Captain Rex called it in? Do we know who it is? That team has some commandos on it." She tries to keep her voice calm and steady. 

"Kix just said he needed a surgeon, that's all." The medic guides her to a waiting gunship before he stands next to her, grabbing one of the bars as the ship lurches into the sky. 

\--------------------------

Kix stands at the edge of the clearing keeping tabs on the Fyrnock that is hovering a little too close for comfort. Cody drifts in and out of sleep, propped against the base of a mushroom tree. He's surprised he has been able to stay conscious for this long, he tries not to think about Jesse and Rex going off to finish the mission with the rest of the commando slime. 

The sound of a gunship breaks him out of his thoughts, if he gets his hands on them though. 

As the ship lands the doors slide open and two medics hop out to help guide Cody in. A third figure stands behind a gurney as they gather supplies from a medpack. "Alright, what do we have?" He recognizes the lilt to the voice immediately. 

"Reaper, it's good to see you again." Kix smiles as he moves to the side of Cody. He's missed the woman. 

She cracks a lopsided grin. "Kix! It's great to see you!" She scans Cody as she speaks. "What's going on with out dear old Commander?"

"Not old." Cody grits out. 

"Keep telling yourself, sir." She pats his shoulder before she turns to the other two medics. "Get him out of that armor, will ya Ollie?" She asks. 

"Pneumothorax, bruised liver, lacerated small intestine." Kix rattles off the injuries that Cody had sustained. "Maybe more under the surface."

Her eyes grow wide for a moment. "So, the usual crush injuries. Who else was on this mission?" She turns back to her kit and grabs an IV.

"Four commandos, who were complete assholes by the way, me, Jesse and Rex." Kix answers as he cuts off Cody's blacks. 

A fond smile crosses her face. "My boys giving you trouble, Commander?" She asks Cody. "Big stick." She gets the IV in and hangs a bag of saline. 

"No more than usual." Cody says. Her boys? What is she talking about?

She reaches her left arm over Cody to place a cardiac sticker on his chest, she isn't wearing the standard comm for medics, her vambrace is bulky, a dark grey with a red stripe down the side, a green vine loops its way across the plastoid. It's the same color scheme as the commandos. He looks up at her beanie, 99 is crudely sewn onto the front, the stitches are too messy to be done by her. It hits him all at once, Tech collecting the plant, the way the Sargent's face softened when Wrecker brought up their medic. "The special assignment was them?" He asks with disbelief, maybe a little bit of disgust leaking into the question.

"Ollie, let's get him up to the med station and make sure there's an operating room ready for me." She relays to the 212th's newest medic.

\-------------------------------

"The special assignment was them?" Kix's voice is laced with disbelief and tinged with disgust. It makes her stomach squirm. 

"Ollie, let's get him up to the med station and make sure there's an operating room ready for me." She turns back to Kix. "If you have a problem with my team by all means tell me." Her calm voice has a sharp edge to it. 

"The big one tried to kill Jesse! Picked him up by the collar of his blacks like he was nothing!" Kix seethes. "And the skinny one tried to choke me out." 

"Hunter did the whole 'Wrecker, drop him!'?" She asks. Kix's eyes widen. "Wreck doesn't like ARCs, this isn't the first time he's done that, probably won't be the last. And I'm sure Cross started it, and he had to step in. Damn homicidal string bean thinks he can rough up regs. He weighs like a hundred pounds in full gear." She points a syringe at him. 

"And the Sargent is so dramatic." He continues. "And don't get me started on the little know-it-all." 

"Hunter smelled the dirt again, didn't he?" She turns to a monitor. "He probably crouched away from the group and looked into the distance?" Of course he would be amping up his 'I'm a mysterious commando act'. She looks up at Kix. "Don't be mean to Tech. I will gut you without anesthetic." She growls. Nobody messes with Tech. 

"Rex will have your head." Cody groans from between them. 

"I didn't say I would kill him, sir. He also has to go through the boys." She pats Cody's shoulder. 

"Approaching medical station, ma'am." Ollie tells her. 

"Alright, let's get ready for the transfer." She tells the team. She bends towards Cody. "Cody, I'm going to sedate you now, alright? I promise when you wake up you'll feel a million times better." She lays a hand on his shoulder as Ollie hands her a syringe full of cloudy white liquid. "It may burn just a bit and it may also be a little cold. Don't worry, I'll be here the whole time." She takes the syringe and pushes the medication through his IV. 

\-------------------------

Crosshair looks at the others in the small exam room, Tech sits against the wall, legs sprawled out, typing away on his vambrace, Wrecker is going through one of the cabinets and messing with tools that he really isn't supposed to touch and Hunter paces the small room, boots clicking against the white linoleum. The nurse said that Reaper was finishing up the surgery she was in over half an hour ago. 

The door finally swishes open and she steps in. "Is he dead?" Crosshair asks. 

She blinks at him before she sighs. "Yes, I let General Kenobi's precious Marshal Commander die after I spent twelve hours putting him back together." Her voice is laced with exhaustion and 'don't fuck with me.'

"So, he'll be okay?" Hunter asks. 

"He's spending the night in a bacta tank, much better than the usual week it would take. He will be back down on the surface in a few days." She tells him before turning to Wrecker who is still nosing around the cabinet. "Wrecker, if you know what's good for you, you'll get out of that cabinet." 

The giant slinks away to stand next to Tech. 

She sighs again. "Your ship crashed which means all of you need a full exam. And don't tell me someone else did it because I made sure they left you to me." She doesn't even flinch when Tech tries to argue. "Cross is first, the rest of you out. I'll call you when I need you." She points towards the door.

When the door closes she turns to him. "Armor off." She orders. 

Crosshair watches as she pulls on a pair of gloves. She's wearing a pair of light grey scrubs and a black pair of shoes. "Sorry I wasn't able to change, I came right here from the OR." She mutters. 

"It's fine." He slides the last of his armor off before sitting on the edge of the exam table.

"Does anything hurt?" She asks. He shakes his head. "Good. I was worried when I heard you crashed." She moves through the typical after mission assessment. "Tell me if anything starts to hurt, even just a little bit." She slips off her gloves and places her hands on his shoulders before sliding them down his arms. He would never admit but her touch soothes him. It quiets the voices in his head. She pulls back. "Alright, get dressed and then send in Wrecker." She says. 

\----------------------------

She takes a moment to brace herself against the counter when Cross leaves, she forgot how stressful sieges were. Surgery after surgery, trooper after trooper. She needs a stiff drink and a nap. 

Wrecker comes in. "Hey, Speck." His voice is quieter than usual. 

"Get that armor off, Big Guy." She smiles at him. "How was the mission?"

His face lights up. "I got the gunship off of the Commander." 

She frowns as she tries to process what he said. "Did you lift an entire gunship?" She almost panics as she thinks of the muscle tears and not to mention his joints. 

He shrugs. "I had to get Cody out." Without him Cody would have died, she realizes. 

"Did you hurt anything? Are you okay?" She asks as she guides him to sit. 

"I'm alright, Speck. I've lifted heavier." He smiles at her. 

He's going to be the death of her. She gives him her exam and sends him on his way. 

Tech walks in head in his handheld. "Armor off and I want a run down of what you found on this mission." She crosses her arms over her chest as he strips. 

"Well we crashed, you already know that though. We stopped in a clearing, the Fyrnocks were very active. That's where Rex called you in. Oh, I found this for you!" He hops up and digs through one of the pouches in his belt. He produces a small specimen jar. "Fever Ink-Needle. I remember you talking about it." He hands over the jar. 

She examines it carefully, the thorns look menacing. "Is this a bribe?" She smiles. 

"Uh, maybe a little. If we didn't crash I wouldn't have seen it." His faces flushes. 

She slides the jar into her pocket before turning back to him. "This doesn't get you out of the assessment. Sit back down." He groans. "It won't take long. Tell me about the rest of the mission." 

"We took an outpost before we moved on to the cyber center. The algortithm Captain Rex had me look for ended up being a live signal from Skako Minor." He explains. 

"A live signal? Like a person was sending it?" She asks as she prods at his shoulder. He hisses in pain. "Alright, shirt off, let me see." She tugs at his blacks. He huffs but obeys, revealing a large bruise that covers his shoulder and his back. "Oh honey. Let me fix this. Keep telling me about this signal."

"When we asked who it was we got a response. Rex recognized the voice and when I asks him about it he said something about someone named Echo." He says. 

Her blood runs cold and her stomach flips. Echo? No, it couldn't be him, he's dead. She swallows, "Did you get a recording of the voice at all?"

"Yeah, I did! Wanna hear it?" He sounds so excited as she hands him his hand held and helmet. He flips through his recordings before he selects one. _CT one four zero nine. CT one four zero nine. CT one four zero nine._ The words keep repeating in a monotone voice, a clones voice that much she can tell, but there isn't any personality behind, no emotion, it's like their nothing but a droid. It couldn't be him. It has to be a trap. 

She concentrates on the large bruise for a moment. Let's her magic flow through him before she turns around and braces her self against the counter facing away from him. "You're good, send me Hunter please." She stares at the wall in front of her. 

Gods, if Echo survived the Citadel. If he was left behind. Rex beat himself up over it for months, every time she saw Fives it was like opening a new wound. Echo was her friend, one of the only ones she had in the 501st. She had gotten attached to him and when he didn't come back from that mission she was devastated. 

Hunter's voice breaks her out of her thoughts. "You okay?" He asks. 

"What? Yeah, I'm fine just tired." She turns to him with a fake smile. 

"The tears say otherwise." He deadpans. 

When did she start crying? "I'm fine. It's been a long day, just overly-tired." She tries. 

"You knew him?" He has always been able to see through the bullshit. 

"Yeah, he was a good friend." She murmurs, hugging her arms tightly around herself. 

"I think he was more than just a friend." He closes the short distance between them and wraps his arms around her. 

"Hunter I-" She starts. 

"You don't have to explain. It's alright." He kisses the top of her head. 

"I think it's a trap. If he's really on Skako that means the Techno Union has him. We would be lucky if his head was in a jar. There's no way he could have survived that explosion. It has to be a trick, lure Captain Rex and the 501st in." She lays her head against his chest.

He runs a gloved hand through her hair. "That's what I told Rex but I think he's getting General Skywalker involved." 

"When do we leave?" She knows that Rex won't leave this alone until he gets to the bottom of this. 

"Sundown. We've been asked to accompany them. The whole team, even you. So we need to get back to the surface and get some sleep. Can't have you running around exhausted." He smooths a hand down her bare arm. She could definitely use some sleep.

"Let me make sure you're okay." She mumbles. 

"I'm fine. I would tell you if I wasn't." He says. 

"You're a pain in the ass, all of you are." Her head thumps against his chest plate. 

"You smell like disinfectant and bacta. It's gross." He rubs at her back. 

She huffs, "You would too if you spent twelve hours elbow deep in Commander Cody's abdominal cavity. I know more about the man than I ever wished too." 

His face is twisted in disgust when he pulls back to look at her. "Thanks for that imagery. Let's get back to the surface. I hate it here."

She sighs. "Why doesn't anyone like the med stations? They really aren't that bad." She asks as he pulls her out of the room. 

"It's sterile and white and it smells weird." Wrecker buts in. 

"I think it's calming." She calls back to him. 

Crosshair scoffs. "Well I think you're insane."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for stopping by! I hope everyone is safe and happy! Have a good rest of your day!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is essentially the second episode from season seven. Hopefully we will get out of the real canon stuff in between the episodes within the next two chapters, I just didn't want to really change anything substantial.

"I'm pretty sure the captain is fucking General Skywalker." Hunter's voice announces as he moves through the ship. 

Reaper looks up from the breathing apparatus her and Tech are working on. "I'm sorry what?" She asks. 

"General Skywalker and Captain Rex. They're fragging. Have to be." Hunter goes on. 

"That's against so many regs." Tech doesn't look up from the CO2 canister he's tinkering with. "Skywalker's a Jedi, aren't they supposed to be celibate?" Tech inquires. 

Reaper stifles a laugh. If only they knew. She clears her throat. "Jedi aren't celibate, not during this point in time at least. There were periods during the Old Republic, but now I don't think they care. I mean have you seen the masterpiece that is Obi-Wan Kenobi? You think he isn't getting any? Oh man." She picks up a piece of tubing and attaches it to her helmet. 

"Some of the nurses on the med station called him Daddy-Wan Kenobi. I understand why now." Techs face is red. 

"How's the mask going?" Hunter changes the subject.

She sighs. "Hopefully it'll keep the Hydrogen sulfide out. I think we have enough CO2. Just have to get the seals right." She picks up the tubing and waves it around before attaching it to her helmet. 

"Alright, men! Let's get this show on the road!" General Skywalker's voice rings through the air. 

It makes her flinch. "Great." She murmurs. Her and Skywalker didn't exactly leave off on the best of terms. Rex stops short when he gets a good look at her. "Captain, it's good to see you again." She smiles. 

"You didn't tell me _she_ was your medic." Rex bites at Hunter. 

She rolls her eyes. Are they really dancing this dance again? It gets old. She stands from her spot on the ground. "Captain, I spent twelve hours putting Commander Cody back together yesterday. I have taken out half a battalion of battle droids by myself. I've worked special ops missions with this team for the past three months. I am more than qualified for a stealth mission." She says. Wrecker and Crosshair move to flank her. She can tell that they aren't fans of the captain. 

"Enough. All of you. We need to get moving." Skywalker steps in front of his captain. 

She casts a glance down to Tech who is still sitting in a pile of parts. "I got this." She winks. "Get up there." She motions Wrecker and Tech up to their respective spots in the cockpit, leaving her with Cross and Skywalker. She plops back down to her spot on the floor and starts to assemble the parts.

"Let me help." Skywalker crouches next to her and picks up part of the compressor. "What would happen if you were exposed to the gas?" He asks. 

"I would suffocate, it would destroy the membranes in my cells. I don't respirate like humans do. I breathe through my lungs but I also breathe through my skin as well. The seal on my blacks will make sure it doesn't get in but if I breathe even a full breath of H2S I won't ever recover." She explains as he attaches the tank of CO2 to the tubing. 

"You breathe CO2?" He asks.

She nods. "And exhale Oxygen. Just like a tree." She grins at the Jedi. 

They grow quiet as they piece together the machine. "I never thanked you for saving my men." He says softly. 

"It's my job to keep troopers safe and alive." She says. "Even if I had to disclose my magic." She looks over her shoulder at Crosshair dozing off at a monitor and Hunter polishing one of his knives. "It was worth it." She smiles. 

"They're one hell of a team." He laughs. 

She points the spanner at him. "You aren't wrong."

\-----------------------

"So, how many missions has your team been on, Sargent?" Skywalker asks. 

"Honestly, sir. I've lost count. All of the action sort of blurs together." Hunter replies. She rolls her eyes at his dramatic response.

She refocuses on the readings being displayed on the monitor before her. "Data shows that you guys should be fine without masks for now, the levels aren't toxic for you yet. Just try to keep your helmet on." She relays to the back of Tech's seat. 

The ship rocks as they come out of hyperspace. "We are approaching Skako Minor! It looks to be a difficult landing!" Tech shouts back to the others. 

She reaches for the breathing apparatus as Wrecker bounds into the cockpit. "Better strap in, Speck." She hooks up the tubes to her helmet and waits for the machine to pressurize as she looks at the gauge on the CO2 tank. It should give her at least four hours of air and she has two extra in the medpack. _Everything will be fine._ She tells herself as she cracks open the tank. 

She watches through the transparisteel as they enter the atmosphere, the clouds have taken on a yellow hue as lightning flashes. Definitely a fantastic vacation spot, one she will put on her list along with Ord Plutonia and Mimban. The alarms coming from the cockpit put her more on edge as if that was even possible. This whole mission puts her on edge. 

She lets out the breath she didn't realize she was holding when they finally touch down on the planets surface. Everyone gathers around the cockpit. "Rex, what do we know about this place?" Skywalkers voice has gone a little too dark for her taste. 

"On this part of Skako there's a race of locals. The Poletecs. All we know is they're very primitive." Rex rattles off. 

"Primitive is being kind." Tech adds. "My intel says the Poletecs worship flying reptiles." 

She starts back when one of the aforementioned flying reptiles lands on the transparisteel, gauging deep scratches into the material. "What the heck was that!?" Wrecker leans forward, plastering himself to the glass. 

"It's one of those reptiles." Tech answers as if they all can't see the flying beast trying to destroy their ship. 

"I want that thing off my ship!" Hunter turns towards the hatch. 

"Hold on! Hold on! Don't just run out there!" For once she agrees with Rex, they need a plan, they just can't go out there guns a blastin' hoping the damn thing will stop using the _Marauder_ as it's personal play thing. 

Of course none of them listen and they all go barreling out the side hatch. Her eyes widen as she takes a good look at the flying creature and the humanoid using it as a mount. "Hey! Get off of there!" Wrecker yells as he aims his blaster at them. 

"Hey, calm down. We need to talk to them." Skywalker orders. 

"Maybe cool it with the lightsaber?" If someone came to their home waving around a laser sword she wouldn't be happy either. 

"Why?" Hunter asks menacingly. 

"The General is right." Rex butts in. 

With a shriek two creatures come out of the clouds, barreling straight for Skywalker and Rex. Skywalker pushes Rex to the ground as they soar overhead. And then somehow the one on the ship gets ahold of the General, causing him to drop his saber as he's lifted into the air. Rex grabs it without hesitation, and she wonders how many times he has picked up Skywalkers lightsaber. Like master, like padawan. 

The saber is shoved at her as Rex takes aim at the creature and fires off a volley of shots. She's seen troopers do some dumb things, but firing at a creature that is hundreds of feet off the ground to try and drop a Jedi with minimal armor is one of the dumbest. 

"I have a thermal reading. Point-two-five east, elevation 175." Tech relays as he tracks the creatures movements. 

"Relax, I'll handle this." Crosshair switches attachements for his rifle and uses Tech as a sturdy surface to fire a grappling line. And honestly, she should have seen this coming as he hands the line to Hunter. 

"What. Are you doing?" Rex asks in his 'are you stupid, trooper?' voice. 

"Going for a ride." She can hear the smirk on Hunters face as he attaches the line to his belt and then he's gone. 

Rex stares after him, dumbfounded. "Get used to it Captain." She pats his arm as she hands him Skywalker's lightsaber, the weapon is a foreign weight in her hand that makes her nervous. The fact that she's the safety makes it worse. "We should go make sure that thing didn't drop either of them. I don't know if I can fix them if I have to scrape them off the ground." 

"Tech, I'm with the General. Hone in on my signal." Hunter's voice cuts through her helmet. 

"Oh, thank the gods." She exhales and turns towards the ship. 

"Are they always like this?" Rex asks her. 

"Are you kidding? This is a regular Zhellday for us." She laughs. "You thought your guys were bad." 

Rex just shakes his head as he boards the ship. 

\---------------------------------

"That creature still has a hold of the General." Hunter says. 

She hangs back as she checks her weapons, "We're going in. But remember what the General said, "No casulities, disarm only."" Rex surveys the area.

"We're on it Captain." Hunter turns towards the group. "Wrecker, Crosshair, rockslide!" The two struggle for a moment before the boulder gives way and tumbles down the hill, Wrecker hot on it's metaphorical heels. 

She knows the only way to get down to the village in a timely manner is to slide down the rocky slope but that doesn't mean she has to like it. What if the tubing gets nicked and she suffocates to death? She only has a moment to hesitate before she steps off the ledge. Everything goes by in a blur as she takes aim at the Poletecs, knocking the weapons from their grip. 

The beast finally frees Skywalker and the leader of the group puts his hands up as Hunter points his blaster at him. "Tech translate what he said." 

Tech steps forward, holstering his blaster. 

\---------------------------------

Translating has always come easy to him. He senses the others move closer when he holsters his blaster, protecting him. "He says he does not want our war on his planet. That is why he took our leader." 

"We didn't bring the war here." General Skywalker's voice taken on a somber tone. "It was Wat Tambor and the Separatists."

He translates as Rex pushes to the front of the group. "Tell him we apologize for what's happened. But tell him the enemy is holding one of our men prisoner in Purkoll. As soon as we rescue him, we'll leave this planet, for good." Tech wants to beleive Rex when he says that Echo is alive, especially when he sees the deep emotion in Reaper's eyes when he is mentioned. He wants Echo to be alive just for her sake. 

"The chief says he will provide us with scouts and lead us to Tambor's city, from there we are on our own." He translates. 

General Skywalker nods. "Any help is better than no help."

\---------------------------------

She studies the Poletec scouts as they move over the rocky terrain. They are an interesting species, though any species that isn't human is interesting to study. She wants to know how their respiratory system works, how can they survive in this air without some kind of protection? She has a feeling just asking them how their lungs work maybe won't go over well. 

She takes a look at the gauge on her CO2 tank. Halfway empty. "You alright, Speck?" Wrecker asks. 

"Yeah, just making sure I have enough air, two hours left on this tank." She replies. "I'll let you know if anything happens. I promise." 

He pats her awkwardly on the back before going back to his conversation with Crosshair. She lets her mind drift to Echo, how could he still be alive? That explosion killed him. She doesn't know if she can handle any other answer. She's just preparing herself to find his head in a jar with wires attached to it, she just doesn't know how to tell Rex that. 

She barely notices the incline before the scouts stop, pointing out at a set of towers. "Hope nobody's scared of heights." General Skywalker turns to the group. Everyone but Tech looks at Wrecker. This is not going to be good. Maybe there's a way he can stay on the ground?

"Well, I'm not scared of nothing. I just... when I'm up real high," He looks over the edge of the rock, "I got a problem with gravity." Oh this is going to be a disaster. 

"Speaking of problems," Tech starts. "I'm no longer picking up Echo's signal." Tech looks between his vambrace and the group. 

Rex turns, "I... I don't understand. You said it was coming from this city." He points to the group of towers. 

"I can only speculate," Tech flips his vambrace closed and grabs his handheld, "But it is possible there's a latency issue with the frequency caused by all these atmospheric disturbances." 

Hunter turns to Rex, "Or... maybe they sent the signal to lure us into a trap. And maybe your friends actually dead," He crosses his arms over his chest, "Well I can't be the only one thinkin of that." It's the most logical answer she can come up with for the signal to be so in and out, but she is a medic not a splicer. 

She flinches when Rex turns and points at Hunter. "Look, every mission could be a trap. This one is no different. I'm telling you that signal is being sent by Echo himself! He's alive!"

She steps forward. "Rex, there's no way to know that. What if it's just his brain in a jar?"

"I think you're letting your personal feelings get in the way because you left him for dead at the Citadel." Crosshair spits. That's harsh even for him. 

"I had no choice. You hear me?" Rex shouldn't have to justify his decision to someone else. He knew what needed to be done at the time, and that's okay. 

"Oh, I don't blame you. I would've left him for dead too." Crosshair turns. How could he say something like that? Would he actually leave one of them behind if they were injured? No, he wouldn't. "Besides, he's just another reg." She flinches when the words come out of his vocoder. 

She watches Rex as he rears his fist back. She's glad he's doing the punching because she would have put some magic behind it that would have knocked Cross on his ass. Rex lunges and connects his fist with Cross's chestplate. He takes him to the ground with two punches before Wrecker yanks him off by the back of his blacks. "Why don't you pick on somebody not your size?" He would be more intimidating if he could come up with better comebacks. He pushes Rex a few steps down the rock.

Rex stalks up to him. "You'll be a whole lot smaller when I'm through with you." He growls. He looks like a tooka kitten that went up to a street dog. 

Skywalker gets between them. "That's enough! Sargent, take your men and scout the area for a tower entrance. I want to talk to my Captain alone." 

She turns without being told by Hunter and walks towards where Tech disappeared too. 

\------------------------------

She crouches and pulls out an air canister from the med pack, turning the valve to block the airflow from reaching her helmet before she detaches the empty canister and shoves it in the pack before she attaches the new one. She stands from her crouch and gives Hunter a thumbs up. "I wish I could say I've been to worse planets but this one really takes the cake. I would call it a backwater skug hole, but I don't think there's any water." She's glad for the helmet, as the sand whips around them. In the distance the lightning strikes and hits the ground. Rex and Skywalker need to get here soon before it gets worse. 

She pulls her blaster when she sees movement. Two figures come out of the storm and she relaxes minutely. "We're in business General. Tech regained Echo's signal. It's coming from this tower." Well she hopes it was coming from this tower since they have been standing here for the past half an hour. "How's it going Tech?" 

The door finally swishes open and Tech stands. "Sorry it took so long." 

"Crosshair, check it out." Hunter motions the sniper to investigate. 

"Yea, it's a lift." Cross deadpans. 

"Well. We already knew that." Tech sasses. She grins, sassy Tech is her favorite version of Tech. She follows the two in and out of the sand storm. 

"Wait, a lift? How far up are we going?" Wrecker asks, craning his head up towards the sky. 

"Don't worry Wrecker, I'll hold your hand." Hunter mocks. She stifles a laugh. 

"Hey! Cut it out Sarge, just get me some droids to crush." Wrecker knocks Hunter on the shoulder. 

The doors slip closed and Skywalker turns to the group. "Remember, this is a stealth mission. No blasting, no blowing things up. Nobody knows we're here." 

The doors slide open revealing a slew of the ugliest battle droids she has ever seen. Who designed these things? They look like a discount bird. Like if an artist forgot what a bird looked like and just had someone describe it to them. 

Wrecker yells and charges them. Of course he would. The man never follows orders. She sighs as she moves through the room, crouching behind a crate and pulling her side arm, taking out two of the droids. 

She stands as Wrecker starts cheering and just stares at him slack-jawed. She's sure the others look the exact way under their helmets. "Uh... sorry, I just got excited." 

Tech looks up from his vambrace. "I've still got a lock on Echo's signal." 

She can hear the voice from his handheld, _CT one four zero nine. CT one four zero nine. CT one four zero nine._ It makes her shiver. 

"Alright, men. Let's go hunt some droids." Hunter announces. 

Rex and Hunter move through the corridor first, popping out of the door and taking down two of the droids that must have been on patrol. Skywalker wanders out into the space. "Where exactly is Echo's signal coming from?" 

"Strange. I just lost the signal." Tech taps at his handheld. 

"What? How can that be? There's no 'atmospheric disturbances' up here." Rex takes off his helmet and turns to Tech. 

"Well I have a new theory. I'm surprised I didn't consider it earlier. The signal is only traceable during data transmissions. So until Echo dispenses more intel, I cannot pick up the signal." He explains. 

"Okay, we're splitting up. Search every door. If someone finds Echo contact the others. We go in together just in case there's trouble." Skywalker orders. Rex, Tech, Hunter and Wrecker split off down one side of the corridor, leaving Skywalker and Crosshair to search the other side. She takes the side with Cross and the Jedi, because he may be a Jedi, but three clones and a Wrecker is better than a toothpick with legs and a man with a laser sword. Someone has to be there when something goes wrong. 

She approaches a door and readies her blaster, pushing the button on the panel. It slides open revealing what looks like rows and rows of servers, though she isn't really sure, again she's a medic not a splicer. 

She moves through the dark room slowly scanning for any vital signs. A droid comes around the corner, "Drop your weapon." She raises her blaster and fires off a few shots taking it out with ease. These new droids are slow. She checks the rest of the room and discovers nothing before moving on to the next one. Several droids pass the room she's in followed closely behind by Skywalker. "Blasters only! We can't let them know you're here!" He calls back to her. 

She growls under her helmet as she focuses her magic, letting it pool in one of her hands as she draws her sidearm. "I can't do that sir." It feels good to disregard a direct order from a Jedi general. It feels good to know that she won't get reprimanded this time about it. 

She rounds the corner as he force shoves a decent chunk of the droids. She launches herself at one of them taking it out with a blow to the head, the magic fizzles through it's circuits as it crumbles to the ground. She aims her blaster at the next one, taking it out before moving to the next one. 

She moves to cover when the second wave starts. "Tech, open that door for Rex!" Skywalker shouts. 

"I hope you find what you're looking for Captain." Hunter says to Rex. "Reaper, you're with them." 

She nods before moving to the door, weapon still drawn and covering Tech as he gets the door open. She moves through the short corridor before the room opens up. It looks like a lab of some sort with a chamber in the middle. "I don't like the look of this." Tech says.

Tech moves to the control panel. "I'm definitely picking up a life form in there. It seems to be a stasis chamber." His words make her stomach flip and her blood run cold. There's no possible way. It can't be. "I think I can get it open." 

She stands frozen as she stares at the chamber. Terror fills her as Tech works on getting it open. The doors open and she almost screams. A body falls forward from the chamber. They're emaciated and almost glow in the low light. Then she hears it. _CT one four zero nine. CT one four zero nine. CT one four zero nine._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for stopping by! Have a great rest of your day and stay safe out there!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for stopping by! Let me know what you think, good or bad doesn't matter to me. Stay safe and sane y'all.

"Echo." Rex climbs the control panel and detaches the tubes and wiring from him. "Tech. We got to get him out of here. Figure out how to unplug him from- from this mess." She finally snaps out of it and runs towards them. "What have they done to you?" Rex takes in his form.

She's seen some shit in her days as a medic. Somehow this doesn't even come close to that. His legs and his right arm have been replaced with cybernetics, implants in his head and down his spine. They should have let him die, but instead they hooked him up to their machines, made him their pawn. A prisoner doesn't even come close to what he is. They took away his free will. They took away what made him, him. 

"We- we have to get to the shuttle to escape the Citadel. No! I'll go first." Echo mumbles. He seems to be reliving his last moments at the Citadel. "No! No, no."

"Echo. It's Rex. I'm here." She's glad Rex isn't speechless like she is. Isn't frozen to the ground in terror. She's never frozen before, never cracked under the pressure.

"Rex? You came back for me." Echo's eyes clear a bit as he grips Rex's upper arm. 

Rex hesitates before he speaks. "Yes, yes I did." 

"What happened? Where am I?" Good, his cognitive function is improving. The medic part of her brain seems to take over. She crouches next to Rex. "It's okay, Echo. You're safe now. Just sit tight, trooper. You're going home." Rex motions over Tech who crouches beside her.

"Can you do anything for him?" Tech asks her. 

She scans Echo using her helmet. "His vitals are steady, he's weak due to starvation and dehydration not to mention he probably hasn't used any of his cybernetics to a decent extent. If I give him a stim to get him moving it could send him into cardiac arrest. We need to get him back to Anaxes. I can get a good look at him there." She relays. Rex shares a worried glance with her. 

"Situation's almost under control out there. How's it going in here?" Skywalker runs in. 

"I'm still trying to decrypt Echo's cerebral interface. Until I do, we cannot disconnect him from this computer system." Tech barely looks up from the terminal. 

"How is he Rex?" Skywalker's voice goes soft. 

Rex stands leaving her to support Echo. She wants to take off her helmet and show him who she is, show him she isn't some random commando. He grips her gloved hand like a lifeline. "I've got ya. I'm not letting you go. I'm right here." She speaks calmly and softly. 

"He's too weak to walk. Very disoriented. Doesn't even remember how he got here. He remembers being at the Citadel, but that's about it." Rex tells Skywalker. 

"Any word on the extraction squad?" When did Rex call in an extraction squad. How could she have missed that?

"We called it in, but no word back." Rex takes looks back at them. 

"Well that's no surprise. We knew when we got into this we'd be on our own." Skywalker says. 

Echo seems to stare through her visor directly at her eyes. "You're doing great. Tech is almost done and then we'll get you disconnected. Just a little bit longer, yeah?" 

"It's gonna get more difficult to get out of here. There are several squads of droids closing in." Hunter relays as the door closes. 

Echo looks between her and Tech and the door, panic in his eyes. "Hey, hey, hey. None of that. Focus on me. Everything will be fine." She reassures him. 

He reaches up and taps her pauldron with the medics symbol on it with his hand. "That's what all the medics say." He croaks. 

She snorts, "Yeah, we do, don't we?" 

"Enemy approaching. Droids- lot's of em." Crosshair's voice bounces around her helmet. 

"How long do you think you can hold them off?" The Generals voice is full of anxiety, something she doesn't hear often in Jedi. 

"How long do you need?" Hunter asks from the door. 

"Tech, how much longer?!" Skywalker asks. 

Rex crouches next to her, his eyes filled with worry. Everyone is worried. "Not yet, I need more time." Tech replies. 

Rex looks at her and she sees fear. "Captain, I need you to stay with me okay? Get out of that head of yours." She uses her officers voice.

"I've got it. We can unplug him now." Tech slides off his helmet as he turns to Rex who helps Echo up. Echo turns towards the control panel and Rex reaches for the tube near his shoulder, Echo jerks when it pulled free. Rex pulls the other one and moves on to the one attached to his skull. She holds her breath as he pulls it, Echo tumbles to the ground.

Echo groans as he blinks up at Rex. "Rex?" He coughs, a hacking cough that makes her cringe. 

Rex is on the ground next to him before she can even blink. "What is it?" 

Echo's eyes are bright when he looks up at him, a smile on his face. "I've got a big headache." 

She sighs in relief as she moves back to stand next to Wrecker. He's back. Echo is back. 

"It's a touching reunion, guys, but we need to get out of here. Now." The General commands. 

Echo continues to cough. "There's an exhaust vent that leads to the cooling system right there." He points to the ceiling and she knows exactly where this is going. 

"They've breached the front door! It won't be long before they're through the second!" Hunter calls. 

Echo moves to stand and Rex helps him over to the other side of the control panel. "That should get it open." 

"Great. Now how do we get up there?" Cross asks. 

She smirks under her helmet as she exchanges a glance with Wrecker. "Oh, I can help with that." 

Wrecker physically steers Hunter over to where he stands directly under the exhaust vent. Hunter struggles as he readjusts his grip on Hunter's pack. "Wrecker, what are you doing?" Hunter sails through the air and catches himself on the exhaust vent. "A heads-up would have been nice!" 

Crosshair is next followed by Tech and Echo who clings to Tech's back. "Alright, Wreck. My turn. Be careful with the tubes." She steps up to be thrown. 

"I will Speck." She let's him manhandle her into a better position before he grabs ahold of her back plate. "Ready?"

"Do your worst, Big Guy." He rears back and she's flying towards the vent. "Woohoo!" Rex follows with a "Woah!" She climbs towards the bend in the vent. Her HUD tells her it's getting colder the farther in they go. Too cold for Echo, she realizes that he really isn't wearing any clothes? She pushes that thought from her mind when she comes to the end of the vent and takes Hunter's hand as he hauls her up. 

An explosion rocks the structure around her. Wrecker must have set charges. "You alright, Captain?" She reaches out for Rex as he clings to the side of the vent. He takes her hand and with a grunt she yanks him up. 

Tech gently sets Echo down as Rex supports him, he's getting stronger, able to walk and stand up with minimal help. She stands aside as Skywalker and them pass, hovering closely behind Echo, just in case something happens or Rex needs help. 

"Huh, this ventilation corridor acts as a cooling system for all the computers in the facility." Tech observes aloud. 

"How did you know it was up here, Echo?" Skywalker asks.

"Well, they got access to all my memory," She cringes at Echo's words. They have access to his memory, like a droid. "And I got access to the Techno Union database. All their plans, inventory, building schematics- everything." They have a literal mind on the inside now. 

"You mean you can find us a safe way out of here?" Rex asks. 

Echo hesitates before speaking, and she knows what that means. There's a way, but it's not safe. "Well, there is a way, but you're not gonna like it." His breath puffs out as he coughs. It's almost below freezing. He is way too skinny to be out here most of the way naked. 

They follow him and The General around another bend before they come upon a door which slides open to reveal the lovely Skakoan sky and a pipe connecting the next building to this one. Her jaw drops. This is insane. They're gonna die. "I don't know about this!" There's a waver in Rex's voice. 

"I'm telling you, there's a landing pad on that other building!" Echo shouts over the wind. 

"So you think there's a ship there we can steal?" Hunter asks. 

"Well I hope there's a ship we can steal." Echo sasses back as he stands and steps out onto the pipe. Not even fifteen minutes out of stasis and this bitch is crossing a pipe several hundred feet in the air. He barely knows how to use his cybernetic legs! Who said 'Oh yeah! Echo will be fine to do some bonkers shit ten minutes after he wakes up from a year and a half nap.' She's going to have an aneurysm. 

"Let's hope this trip isn't for nothing!" Hunter growls. He stops for a moment and looks out at the pipe before taking a careful step out. Crosshair follows only after Hunter has taken a few steps out, followed by Tech. 

She looks back at Wrecker, "It'll be alright Wrecker." She knows she's trying to convince herself more than him. She steps off the platform and into the open air. She can barely hear what Wrecker is saying over the sound of her blood roaring in her ears. "You got this Wreck. Come on." She tries. 

"Not gonna panic, not gonna panic." He babbles. 

"Hang on Wrecker. We're almost there." Hunter calls back to him. 

"Gonna be okay, gonna be okay. Breathe." Wrecker continues. 

"Turn around! Go back!!" Skywalker calls. One by one they all turn only to be greeted with more droids. Tech fires off a few shots. She looks on in horror as Crosshair losses his balance and falls. Wrecker jumps and catches him by the ankle without hesitation. "Anybody got a brilliant idea?" 

"I do have a brilliant idea!" Tech calls. She tries to get her heart to slow down as she takes aim with her sidearm at the droids making their way towards her, without Wrecker there's nothing inbetween her and them. 

"I'm hangin here!" Wrecker calls from below them. She lines up another shot. 

"When the locals attacked us, I recorded the creatures' distress call." Tech scrolls through his handheld looking for the audio clip. 

"He records everything. It's a hobby." Hunter calls. He sounds like a supportive older brother. 

"-Which allows us to call those flying creatures to us!" He presses a button on his vambrace and the worst noise she has ever heard emits from it. 

"Ow! Enough with the sound!" Wrecker yells. She takes a second to look down at the two, Wrecker still has Cross by the ankle and Cross is firing off shots from his rifle and his sidearm. They sway in the high winds. She hasn't seen anything more ridiculous. Her boys could kill someone in eight different ways and yes she's seen it, but this makes her bust out laughing. She must be losing it. 

The winged creatures emerge from the clouds below them. "There is our ride out of here!" 

"Now how do we get on them?!" Skywalker yells.

"How else? We jump!" Tech replies. Everyone looks over at him at the same time as if that's the craziest thing they have ever done. She has seen Rex and Skywalker throw themselves off of multiple surfaces before, why is this the thing that makes the Jedi think? 

Skywalker launches himself off the pipe followed by Echo and Rex. She jumps at the same time Wrecker let's go and they all end up on the same creature. She watches as Tech and Hunter fly through the air and end up on the creature after theirs. "You guys okay?" She asks over comm. 

"Doin just fine." Cross replies. Wrecker still clings to the neck of the creature. 

Blaster bolts fly past them as if this ride couldn't get any worse. "I'll drive, you shoot!" She shouts to Crosshair who only nods. "Wrecker hang on! This is about to get interesting!" 

They pass through a cloud and seem to shake the droids. She takes a breath as they soar through the sky. She would love to stop and appreciate the view and feel the wind on her face if she was literally anywhere else in the galaxy. The village quickly comes into view and the creatures glide down to the ground gently. She pats the creatures neck as she hops down, helping Cross as well. 

When they catch up to the others, Tech is already translating. "Their leader is impressed we tamed the Keeradaks, but he wants to know why we returned here?" 

"Tell them we had no choice. Tell him... that we wore out our welcome in Purkoll." Skywalker trips over his words as he speaks. 

The blaster bolts catch them off guard. Crosshair shoots one of the droids out of the sky before they soar off to make another round. "Not good. If I know Tambor, he'll come after us, us and the Poletecs, with everything he's got." Skywalker says darkly. She grips her blaster tighter. Tambor will be looking for a fight, he'll be trying to get Echo back. "What's he saying, Tech?" 

"He says that we have broken our word. We have brought the war to his village." Tech translates. 

Rex pushes forwards and takes off his helmet. "You're right. Tell him he's right, Tech. Tell him we didn't plan to drag his people into war, but look what the Separatists did to one of our people!" He waves his arm towards Echo, pointing at him. Echo's face has a snarl on it as he steps forwards. It's truly a horrific sight. Echo is nothing but metal and skin and bones, wires weave their way through his body. "They took away his freedom, his humanity! They tried to turn him into a machine! The Techno Union claims it's neutral but they have chosen sides! Now your people have to choose." 

"Couldn't have said it better, Rex." Skywalker says. 

"Uh, let's hope it works, because I see forces coming-" Crosshair takes his eyes off of the sky before turning towards Rex. "-More than we can handle alone." 

\-----------------------

"You're with us, Speck!" Wrecker calls to her as she makes sure Echo is alright for the hundredth time in the past half an hour. 

"I'm fine, Speck. Go get into position." Echo tells her. She almost laughs at the use of Wrecker's nickname. He's going to be in for one hell of a shock when the helmet comes off. 

She runs to catch up with Wrecker and Rex as they take up their positions. She crouches beside one of the Poletecs and checks her blaster one last time. Hunter slides down next to her. "Keep the magic to a minimum, we don't need you to become Tambor's next lab rat." 

"Yes sir." She answers automatically. 

"Hey, look at me." He nudges her shoulder. She looks over at him. "We need you alive and with us. Get out of your head and into the field." She nods and switches off the safety. 

"Droids incoming. Watch for the General's signal." Crosshair relays over comm. Their heads swivel to where Skywalker now stands above them. They watch as the droids land and start poking around the village. 

Skywalker gives the signal and Wrecker pushes the rock, also why does this place have so many round boulders? Just perfectly round boulders to push down this slope. It had to be planned right? A primitive security system?

The Poletecs give a battle cry as they slide down the slope. She splits off from Rex and Hunter as she fires at the droids. A Poletec goes down next to her and she drags him into cover. He tries to fight her as she crouches down next to her and pulls off her pack. He seems to get the memo when she taps at the medic symbol on her pauldron. The medic cross is the same across almost every language. She cuts the fabric off of his thigh to reveal the burnt tissue underneath. She pulls out some gauze and presses it into the wound before wrapping it tightly. "Stay here." She tells him as she gets up from the ground and slings her pack back onto her back. 

She raises her blaster as she moves through the field, ducking down to avoid blaster fire as she takes out droids. A blast from the tri-droid lands near her sending a group of Poletecs flying. "What are we going to do about the virus droids?" She shouts over comms. 

"Skywalker has one and Rex, Hunter and Wrecker have the other." Tech replies. 

She drags the Poletecs into cover. Another Poletec starts to drag the wounded towards her. They must have figured out she's a medic. She crouches over one of them protectively as another shot goes off near her. She goes through each of the wounded patching up what she can before moving to the next person. She speaks to them in a soft tone even if they can't understand her. Hopefully, they will understand that she is trying to keep them calm. 

She looks up just in time to see Hunter flying through the air and landing on top of the virus droid, Rex already hanging off one of it's blasters. She turns her attention back to Poletecs as she finishes up bandaging one's side. She pats them on the shoulder before throwing her pack over her shoulder and running back into the thick of things. She runs past Wrecker as he pushes two of the Poletecs out of the way of one of the virus droids legs as it comes down. He catches it and she gasps as the ground around him starts to crack. She pulls the wounded one out of the way before she turns back to see both of the virus droids falling. They crash to the ground, taking out several droids with them. 

The rest of the droids take to the sky and retreat back the way they came. She turns to see Wrecker helping Hunter, who is holding his right shoulder, and Rex from the wreckage of the droids. She stands from her spot by the Poletec and makes her way to them. "Sargent, remind me to look at your shoulder later."

She stands with Wrecker, Hunter and Rex as the Poletecs gather around Skywalker and cheer. "It's hard to compete with a Jedi." Hunter says as he takes off his helmet. She smiles under hers, another battle won. 

\----------------------------

The Poletecs gather as they make their way towards the ship, they seem to be the ones with power, the chief and company. "That went better than expected." she says to Tech. 

"I didn't think he was actually alive." Crosshair says. 

"Honestly, neither did I." She shrugs. 

They all stand before the ship as Skywalker speaks. "Thank you for helping us in our fight."

The chief speaks, the only word she can make out is Jedi. It's good that it translates through most of the galaxy. "He said the Jedi will always have an ally here on Skako Minor." Tech translates. The Poletecs give one last bow before they turn and make their way back towards their village. 

With a sigh she follows Wrecker and Tech onto the ship, plopping down into the seat at the monitor behind the cockpit. She checks the gauge on her tank, just enough to get out of the planets atmosphere, then she can take off this damned helmet. Rex and Echo board last as Tech is doing the final pre-flight inspection. He closes the hatch and takes his seat. "We'll be out of the atmosphere in roughly five minutes. I would wait a few before removing your air supply, let the air filter." Tech tells her as he flips switches as he lifts the ship off the ground. 

She watches silently as they soar through the clouds of Skako, she hopes she never has to come back to this place again. The locals were lovely but the planet is just over all horrible. She sighs when they finally break through the atmosphere. "Alright, you're good. Take off the mask and put the tanks back." Tech tells her. 

She stands and makes her way towards the back of the ship, stopping at the table. Hunter and Crosshair watch her closely as she dismantles the machine, turning off the air and pulling the tubes from her helmet. She can feel Echo and Rex's stare but she just can't look at them yet. She can't look at Echo. She was anonymous with the helmet on. A commando named Speck, just another clone, when she takes it off she knows that she won't be hidden anymore. She'll be Reaper, Medical Officer Flora Grimm. 

Echo's eyes shine with curiosity as she reaches up and breaks the seal on her helmet. She sets it gently on the table before looking up at Echo a small lopsided smile on her face. Echo's jaw drops and a smile spreads across his face. He's breathless when he speaks. "Wildflower?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all writing that ending was a trip. I'm shaking and my heart is pounding, I've had that scene planned since the very beginning and finally writing is making me so happy! Holy shit!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for stopping by! Let me know what you think!

The first thing he sees when Speck pulls off their helmet is a mass of green hair, the color of a forest. A color he's never seen on a clone, it matches the smaller clone well. When they lift their head his breath is stolen from his lungs, he's only seen those eyes on one person. Someone he never thought he would ever see again. "Wildflower?" He can't believe that she's standing in front of him. He stands to go to her but he stumbles. 

She catches him with a soft laugh. "I'm right here, Echo." 

He notices the other two commando's slowly edge their way out of the room, Rex following the Sargent and General Skywalker goes with the sniper. She gently guides him back to his seat. He reaches out for her and she catches his hand. "I'm right here." She whispers. The one thing he may have actually gotten right in his life is standing in front of him, holding his hand. He lets himself lean against her gently. "I've got you." She's here. She's actually here, in the flesh and blood. 

"Reaper, you need to give report to Helix and Coric. They need to know if we need to be rerouted to a med station." Rex pokes his head in. 

"Alright, I'll be right there. Stay with him, please?" She asks. _No, don't go! Please!_

Rex blinks at her before answering. "Yes ma'am." 

\-----------------------------------------

Rex has never called her ma'am, or Reaper for that matter. Today just gets weirder and weirder. She stands in front of the monitor, hands clasped behind her back as the comm rings. "Chief Medical Officer of the 501st Legion. This better be good." Oh, good ole Coric, he doesn't take anyone's shit. 

She clears her throat before speaking. "This is Officer Grimm, sir. We found ARC trooper Echo. His condition isn't ideal. He's emaciated and dehydrated." She pauses and looks to Crosshair who is sitting not far from her. "Both legs have been amputated at the knee. There has been a transhumeral amputation of the right arm. Implants will need to be removed and replaced from the cervical spine down. I will also need to get a good look at his thoracic cavity. There is a main implant in his sternum that will need to be removed as well." 

"I'll get an OR ready for you. Helix is up at the med station already. Kix will be your scrub nurse. Can you think of anyone else you might need?" Coric asks. 

"I have to make a few comms. Just have the surgeon up there on standby. Tell them I will be taking the lead." Her mind reels back into the surgeon mindset. She doesn't get to do this nearly as often as she should. 

"You should take the lead more often, Darlin'." Crosshair remarks. 

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you just say that." She barely looks up at him as she dials the next code. 

A stern face meets her, the scar bisecting his prosthetic eye makes him look eerie through the comm. "Commander Wolffe." 

"Commander, this is Medical Officer Flora Grimm. Are you available to answer a few questions of mine?" She straightens her back as the man examines her. 

With a roll of his eyes and a snarl he responds. "What do you need, Officer?" 

"I need to know who did your eye. I have a trooper with some significant injuries. They are in need of prostheses." She says. 

The Commander falters briefly. "The Officer was killed during a Separatist raid on the medical station she was working at. My apologies." 

She sighs, "That's alright, Commander. Thank you for your time." She hangs up and turns to Crosshair. "Can Tech handle assisting me in a surgery?"

Crosshair pauses the cleaning of his rifle. "You want him in a sterile environment with you, for hours on end, without his gear to keep him entertained? Give him the arm to work on and he can build something from here." 

"Alright, that might work." She runs her hands through her hair with an angry sigh. Echo didn't deserve this. None of them deserved this war, but here they are. "General Skywalker has a fake hand, he will be the best bet for helping with prostheses. His spine is going to be the the main issue, but I can easily handle that." 

Crosshair stands and props his rifle against the wall, he takes a look towards the cockpit and one towards where Rex and Echo are sitting. "You can't fuck him up anymore than he already is." He wraps himself around her. "Stop worrying so damn much." 

She groans and leans against him. "If Skywalker is as cocky in the OR as he is on the battlefield, I swear to the gods." 

\--------------------------------

The OR is a peaceful kind of chaos, especially when Reaper is the lead surgeon. "Alright, I'm going to need General Skywalker soon. Dr. Katrizap, do you mind getting him scrubbed in?" She asks the man. 

Kix learned not to mess with Dr. Katrizap. Don't speak to him unless spoken too. He's one of the civvie docs that the Republic pays handsomely to work on injured clones. His ego is unmatched. "I can't believe you are letting a Jedi into my OR." He spits at the woman. 

She sets down her scalpel and forceps for a moment. "I looked into getting someone else for Echo's prostheses. No one was available, but General Skywalker offered his services as he does have a prosthetic hand he takes care of himself." She explains, her voice calm and level. "Please get him scrubbed in and prepped." She picks up her tools again. 

She visibly relaxes when he leaves the room. "Kix, is he always like that?" She asks. 

Kix chuckles, she has no idea. "Unfortunately, yes." 

"Lovely personality on that one. Cauterizer." She holds out her forceps and he takes them, replacing them with a cauterizer. "Cauterizing isn't much different than soldering." She observes. "Of course there's the extra filament you have to worry about." 

The door opens and Katrizap and Skywalker walk through the door. "General, come join the party!" The woman calls to him. "I'm finishing up his spine and then we can chat about his legs." 

General Skywalker steps up to the table and peers down at the field. "Isn't he supposed to have bones?" He has never seen the man this nervous. 

"Most humanoids have spines. Echo is a special case. The explosion damaged his spinal cord, without the implants he would be paralyzed." Reaper explains calmly. "The ones that they implanted were way too bulky for combat and everyday use. The ones I implanted will leave a smooth line of metal down the spine. You won't be able to tell if he has them under the standard armor." She turns to Kix. "Let's test his nerves. Let me know when his fingers jump." She trades her cauterizer for a small electrode wand.

Kix moves to Echo's left side and uncovers his hand. "Ready when you are, Reaper." 

"Alright, applying shock." Her eyebrows crease in concentration. Kix focuses on Echo's fingers, holding his breath, this has to work, if it doesn't Echo will go back to Kamino. He'll be decommissioned, he can't see someone else go back, not after Dogma. 

Echo's fingers flex. They actually move. Kix laughs wetly. Reaper sends him a wink. "He'll get there, Kixysticks." She reassures. 

She turns to Skywalker. "Let's talk prostheses." 

\-----------------------------

She stands in front of Echo's bacta tank, her hands shoved into her scrub pockets. She knows she should go find where her team decided to hole up for the night, but she can't tear her eyes away from Echo. "He was going to ask you out when he got back from the Citadel." A voice says. 

She turns to see Rex standing off to the side, inspecting the clone in the tank beside Echo's. She look back up at Echo. "Fives told me. I had them put a feeding tube in while he's in the tank. It'll be taken out before he wakes up." She says. 

"How do I tell him?" Rex asks, his voice full of pain. 

"I think he already knows, Rex. You think Fives would have missed this? He would have been the one to drag him out of that damned stasis chamber." She glances at him. "It's alright." She tries to comfort him as he places his palm against the cool glass. 

"I left him behind." He sounds broken.

"In that condition he would have been decommissioned. The damage would have been too extensive to fix, he would have died. We didn't have the tech to repair that kind of damage. We do now. He'll be okay, he just needs some time." She places her own hand against the glass. A smile grows on her face. "Did you see his face when I took off the helmet?"

Rex laughs. "He fell for you so hard he scraped his knees on the way down. I've seen some lovesick brothers but damn." Rex looks down at her. "You've done enough today. Go find your team and get some sleep. I'll keep watch and comm you if anything happens." 

She sighs. "Thank you, Captain." She tears her eyes off of Echo and turns walking down the long row of bacta tanks. So many injured troopers. They didn't ask for this. 

She exits the room into the too white hallway, and leans against the wall sliding down into a sitting position, she's tired, numb. She wants to crawl inside herself and sleep for weeks. She wants to cry, scream, anything. 

"Ma'am? Are you alright?" A voice asks her. She looks up to see a trooper in 212th orange, his armor looks like it's been through hell and back. 

"I'm fine, just a long day." She replies putting on a smile. 

He slides down the wall and sits next to her. "It's been a long few years." He must be a veteran of the 212th, there aren't many left. 

"What's your name, trooper?" She asks, rolling her head to look at him, he has a stripe shaved into the side of his head. He looks familiar. 

"Clue." He answers.

"That leg healed up nicely." She smiles. 

"Didn't think you'd remember." He huffs. 

"You were my last patient with the 212th, how could I forget?" She says. She wonders what god she has to thank for this, sending him her way at just the right time. 

"What are you doing up here?" She asks, he isn't injured.

"I was helping with transport. There were some whispers of a commando team aboard. My squad was curious. I sent them out to look and decided to take a walk. I don't care for that kind of excitement."

She snorts. "Well I can't tell you where the rest of the team is but you found one of them. The rest of them won't even be half as decent as me."

"Well, that's a lesson for them isn't it?" He laughs. He throws an arm around her and draws her in closer. He's a touchy one. "You look better, the day you left I was worried." 

"Campaigns are tough. We have back to back missions but it's nothing like being on the ground for weeks at a time." She says. "I don't miss it." 

"This war needs to end. The men are tired of fighting. I think the Jedi are too." He says. 

"At least Kenobi is. He was a diplomat before. One of the best." She remarks. 

His comm goes off. _"Hey, LT. Crasher woke up. You should come see him."_

Clue sighs before answering. "I'll be right there. Thank you, Joy." He closes his eyes and let's his head thump back into the wall. "At least he's alive." 

"Yeah, at least he's alive." She says. "You should go see him. I'll be around for a few more days, if you find yourself back up here just come find me." She says. 

He hauls himself off the floor before giving her a smile. "It was good to see you again, Reaper." 

"Glad to see you on your feet again, Lt. Keep an eye on your men for me." She says, her smile doesn't quite meet her eyes. He jogs down the hall before disappearing. 

_At least he's alive._ She scoffs, at least Echo is alive. Tears gather in her eyes. 

_Fives looks at her, tears in his eyes. Echo didn't come back from the Citadel. He's the last one left. "He was going to ask you out on a date when he got back. He was going to take you to the Botanical Gardens on Coruscant."_

_"I should have said something before." She murmurs softly as she smooths a bacta patch over the burn on his chest._

_"Don't. Don't do that. He wouldn't want that." Fives says._

_She blinks through the tears. Just get through the rest of the wounded. Then she can cry for the man she loved, that she didn't get a chance to love. A choked sob escapes her. The tears flow down her cheeks. Fives pulls her into his chest. "Shh. It's okay, it'll be alright." His tears are hot against her neck. She can tell that he's trying to convince himself more than her. There's no Fives without Echo, no Echo without Fives. Now Fives is on his own, navigating his life without his brother, his best friend. She holds him as he breaks down, let's him use her as a lifeline, just this once._

_"I've got you. It's going to be alright." She whispers over and over again. In this exam room she let's the world crash down around them. Just this once. She lets everything in and let's it drag her under. When she steps out, everything will be okay again. At least that's how it will appear on the outside. She won't ever really get over losing Echo._

She wipes the tears off of her face as she stands from the floor. "At least he's still alive. Right Fives?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My husband: You have a fever, you should really rest.  
> Me, who hasn't left this tiny ass one bedroom apartment in almost a week: I'm going to write this bitch of a chapter if it fucking kills me!  
> My husband: Fine, drink some tea.
> 
> Thank you for stopping by! Please, stay safe and sane out there!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for stopping by! Let me know what you think!

Echo coughs and hacks. "The feeding tube is out, ma'am." Someone says above him. 

"Good, thank you." A sweet voice says, she sounds a thousand klicks away. Something soft is dragged over his eyes, clearing the bacta away. "Echo, can you hear me?" The voice is light and musical.

He blinks his eyes open slowly, the lights blinding. Someone stands over him, he blinks again and his vision clears a bit. He can tell it's a woman with green skin. "Wildflower?" He croaks out. Why does his throat hurt so bad?

"I'm right here, Echo." Her fingers intertwine with his. "I had them place a feeding tube while you were in the tank. Your throat may be a little sore for a while. Would you like some ice?" She asks. He nods as he coughs. "Nurse, can we get him some ice please?" She's so polite when she talks to people. 

"Yes, ma'am." A voice answers. 

He blinks more and she finally comes into focus. Her hair is tucked into a beanie but a lock of it lays against her forehead. He reaches out to tuck it back with his right hand when he remembers, he doesn't have a right hand. "Here you are, ma'am." Someone hands her a cup. 

"Thank you." She turns towards him with a spoon. "This will help your throat." She smiles down at him as he accepts the spoonful of ice. He's being spoon fed ice chips by the woman of his god damned dreams. 

The ice soothes his throat enough to speak. "Feeding tube?" He can eat just fine. 

"Your weight is dangerously low. While you were in the bacta tank I had them place a tube so you could get constant nutrition. We have to get you back up to weight. It's just some extra help." She looks back to the team of people he is oblivious to. "Let's get him in a room and get him cleaned up, yeah?" There's a murmur of assent among the team. "I have to go update Rex on your condition. I'll come visit in a bit." She places a hand against his cheek. He tightens his grip on her hand. "I promise. I'll be right back." She smiles at him, it makes his insides feel like their melting. She gives his hand one last squeeze before she leaves. 

\-----------------------------------

"He's doing very well, Captain. I was there when they took him out of the tank. He was even able to get some ice chips down. How's the cybernetics going down there?" She asks Rex. 

_"Skywalker hasn't stopped working on them. They are almost finished. I haven't checked in on your team yet today. Yesterday Tech had everything he needed."_ Rex relays to her. 

She crosses her arms. "Good. When they're finished send someone from my team up. I'll let you know if anything comes up. Reaper, out." 

\----------------------------------

Tech looks down at the schematics for Echo's arm. "Why does she like him so much?" Wrecker asks. 

"They were 'friends'." Tech waves the spanner around. "Her and Captain Rex don't seem to realize that their friend spent a cycle and a half in Separatist custody. We can't trust him." 

Wrecker shrugs. "He seems alright to me."

"Everyone seems alright to you." Tech rolls his eyes and turns his attention back to the arm. 

"I think you're jealous." Wrecker pokes at his brother. "If Speck trusts him, I do as well. She knew him before he was taken." 

Tech sighs. "That doesn't make it any better."

\---------------------------------

She walks into the ward and is immediately hit with the sounds of alarms blaring and pained cries. "Echo!" She runs straight for his room. "What the hell is happening in here?" Her voice is much harsher than she means it to be. 

"He started shivering and then he started screaming saying his legs hurt but he doesn't have any legs!" One of the nurses panics. 

The nurse is a civilian, he probably got minimal training and was then sent here. She takes a breath before she gives her orders "It's phantom limb pain. It was probably triggered by how cold it is in here. Get me a synth heat blanket and a dose of painkillers. Go!"

She sends off the two nurses in the room before turning to Echo. "It hurts." He whimpers through gritted teeth, tears in his eyes. 

"I know. Focus on me. Breathe, in and out." She tries to calm him down. "In, out. I've got you." His hand scrabbles around looking for hers. She grabs it and intertwines their fingers. "I'm here, Echo." 

The nurses comes back in. "I brought two blankets, just in case!"

The civilian hands one of them to her and she lets go of Echo's hand just long enough to cover him up. "Painkiller?" The other nurse hands her the syringe after drawing up the meds. "Alright, Echo. This will make you feel much better." She pushes the medication through his IV, watching the bright blue liquid move through the tubing. She turns to the nurses. "I've got it in here. Good job." They nod and leave the room. She stands and moves to the door, flicking off the lights and sliding the door closed. 

She stands facing the wall for a moment to catch her breath. She knew this was going to be a problem but not this soon. "I'm sorry." Echo mumbles.

"What?" Why would he be sorry? What is he sorry about? He starts to speak but she cuts him off. "No, no, no. Sweetheart, there's no reason to apologize. It's alright." She returns to his bedside and grabs his hand. "You're doing great." She smiles at him. 

"I woke up and it hurt so bad. I couldn't move." He says. "I panicked. I remembered the pain an-and the cold." He gasps for air. "I panicked." 

"It's alright." She soothes him. She tries to keep her tone even, keep the sounds of her heart breaking from escaping her chest. He sounds terrified. "You're safe here. I promise. I'm right here." She reaches out a hand to cup his cheek. "I won't let anything happen to you, yeah?" 

"Yeah." She can tell he's fighting the medication, it's trying to pull him under but he won't let it. His eyes blink heavily. "Please, don't go. Stay." He murmurs. 

"Of course." She sits on the edge of the bed, taking his hand again. 

"Lay down with me? Please? Hard to sleep alone." He slurs. 

She slides off her boots and pulls the stiff hospital covers down enough for her to slide in next to him, he latches onto her before he finally let's himself succumb to the drugs. 

She stares at the ceiling of the room for a moment. Someone will be up here soon to give her Echo's new limbs. She wonders who will be making the trip, General Skywalker for sure. Tech and Hunter didn't seem to keen on the idea of being up here with her, so that leaves Cross or Wrecker. Wrecker seemed to scare some of the personnel, he's loud and chaotic, he means well, she knows that. Crosshair gets along with Skywalker the best, which is an insane idea all to begin with, but it benefits her, he won't question her affection towards Echo, he will just brush it off as her taking care of him.

She manages to nudge her datapad that was forgotten about at the end of the bed towards her outstretched fingers without waking the sleeping ARC trooper who is draped over her. She pulls up her messages and freezes, she needs to ask Tech how work on the arm is going but something makes her stop, it's the feeling of dread spreading through her chest. She didn't realize it until this moment but her life is kind of crashing around her. Echo is alive. And so are her feelings for him. But, she still loves her team. Will they make her choose? Leave behind one or the other? How could she choose? Echo was in her life way before the boys were, but the boys are her everything now. 

She decides against contacting Tech all together and instead pulls up General Skywalker's information instead: _Just wanted to see how the progress on the cybernetics is going. -Officer Grimm._

She gets a reply after a few more minutes of staring at the ceiling: _Almost finished. Putting on the finishing touches now. Crosshair will accompany me to the medical station to drop them off. -Gen. Skywalker._

Well, that's good at least. She picks up the pad: _Be warned. I had to give Echo a dose of painkillers for his PLP. He may be a little out of it when you arrive. -Officer Grimm._

She doesn't get a reply back this time but that doesn't really matter. And just like she thought Cross will be up here soon as well.

Echo shifts and tries to pull her even closer with what limited strength he still has. She sighs and readjusts sliding her arm under the pillow that supports his head and turns on her side, facing him. She drapes her arm around his thin waist, way to thin, and scoots forward until they are chest to chest. He mumbles something before burying his face into her neck, he seems to relax into her with a sigh. She traces the spinal implants with her finger to keep herself entertained. Snuggling with him isn't uncomfortable, far from it. She just knows that if she lets her brain run off on a tangent she might never return. 

\----------------------------

Crosshair follows General Skywalker and Captain Rex through the med station, through twists and turns he can't even begin to remember. He carries two bags, one with Echo's new legs and the other his new 'arm'. The socket has been updated and can be detached when an actual hand is built for him. "She said that he might be a little out of it when we get in there. He needed some painkillers." The General warns. 

They enter a ward, this one seems to have actual rooms and a few more nurses in it. "Your medic is in his room already. She hasn't come out since the incident." A nurse says, his skin is too pale and his eyes are piercing, not quite human. 

"Incident?" Rex asks with an accusing tone.

"He needed the painkillers for Phantom Limb Pain. It's rough the first few times." The General explains. Rex just nods with a grim look. 

They all stop and stare when they come to the doorway of the room. Reaper's boots sit neatly off to the side and she sits propped up against the wall and Echo is plastered to her side, his head on her shoulder. Crosshair would describe the smile on Echo's face to be lovesick and mushy. She doesn't even notice the three of them standing there as she talks about something Wrecker did on one of their recent missions. 

Rex has a fond smile on his face as he watches them and it makes him want to vomit. 

"You two look comfortable." General Skywalker finally announces their arrival. 

Reaper looks up, eyes wide at them and scrambles out of the bed. "General Skywalker, Captain Rex, uh... Crosshair." She greets them as she shoves her feet back into her boots. 

"At ease, Officer." The General smiles at her. He turns to Echo. "How are you feeling, Echo?" He asks. 

"Good, sir." Echo looks at the three of them. 

"Great! We brought you a few upgrades." Skywalker motions for the sniper to hand him the bags. He passes them over and steps out of the small room. 

Reaper follows him, sliding the door closed behind her. When she turns to him she won't meet his gaze. "Are you going to explain what exactly you were doing in there?" His voice is cold and harsh. 

She pulls at the back of her hat. "It's a long story." She says. 

Everytime he closes his eyes he sees Echo's lovesick smile, it makes his skin crawl. It seemed like easy affection, something they had before he was captured. The look on General Skywalker's and Rex's faces told him that their relationship was deeper than just the close friendship he witnessed on the ship. "Were you not going to tell us about him?" 

"He was supposed to be dead. It was easier to just forget about him." She still won't meet his eyes. "It made it easier to get over him. Just pretend he never existed in the first place." Her voice is dull, lifeless. 

It hits him square in the chest that she went through pain over him, grieved his death, she had to come to terms with never seeing him again. 

"I'm sorry, alright? I can't do this right now." She sidesteps him and flees down the hall. Echo really did a number on her, the sniper has never seen her act like that, dejected and torn apart. He's going to rip Echo a new one.

\------------------------------

She brushes past Crosshair and walks down the hall just as the tears start to fall. She gasps as she realized Echo is alive. He's actually _alive._ The sobs wrench their way through her. He's alive. He's going to be fine. She mourned for his death for months, tried to forget about him. It almost worked, too. She found her team. She was happy. 

She takes a shaky breath and tries to put herself back together. Echo needs her, Rex needs her. They need her to be the steadfast medical professional, not the emotional roller coaster that she is at this moment. She dries her eyes and takes a breath, gathering all of her feelings and sweeping them under the rug. She smooths down her uniform and fixes her boots before she turns down the hallway and heads back to Echo's room. 

She notices Dr. Katrizap hovering near the nurses station. "Doctor, have you come to check on Echo's progress? They are fitting him with new cybernetics as we speak." She smiles at the man. 

"I was told that one of the defective clones was on the ward. I was hoping to run some tests on it." He says. Her blood runs cold when he calls Crosshair an 'it'. 

"Do you mean Crosshair? He's on my team, I could give you a copy of his latest test results." She tries to diffuse the situation as the man walks towards Echo's room. 

"No, I want to run my own. Thank you." He dismisses her. 

She pulls her comm. "Cross, you have one hell of an arrogant asshole coming your way." She says loud enough for Katrizap to hear. 

He stops and turns when he is just outside of the room next to Echo's. "Excuse me?" He spits. 

"You will not disrespect him like that. He is not an 'it'. His name is Crosshair. You will not run any tests on him without his medics approval and guess who's his medic? Me." She seethes. 

He turns on her. "Listen, you little bitch. I will perform whatever tests I want on whatever clone I want to. This is my medical station." 

Oh, he's really going to do this? Right here in this hallway? Right now? She centers herself before she begins. "Katrizap? That's Onderonian, correct? Which means that the only reason why you're working for the Republic instead of the Separatists is because they offered you more. And because you are making more than everyone you think that you are the king of the castle. The long-necks have jurisdiction over all of the clones and the medical stations to take care of said clones." She says. 

Crosshair and Rex step out of Echo's room and slide the door shut behind them. She sidesteps the man when Rex speaks. "The cybernetics fit perfectly. Tech did a good job on the arm." 

She smiles. "Good! That's great."

"Is that the defective one? Funny, he found one of the ones with a mutation. And we really shouldn't have wasted the resources on the other one. Brand new cybernetics for something as damaged as him? We should have sent him back to Kamino and scrapped him for organs." Katrizap buts in. 

Crosshair's face contorts into what she can only describe as seething rage. Rex is stunned. Now, she wouldn't say that she's a violent person, she usually leaves that to the boys. She's the one to clean up those messes, fix those mistakes, soothe over those wounds and calm everyone down. But, for just this once she can make an exception. 

She lunges at the man, pinning him to the wall with a forearm over his neck. She can see the fear in his eyes. "Say another word and I will jettison your ass into space. You will not disrespect Captain Rex or Echo or Crosshair. Or any of the other clones for that matter. I will let them pick you apart piece by piece and then I'll heal you back together so they can do it again. Take the ego down a notch, and reevaluate your life choices before I reevaluate them for you." She growls. 

\---------------------------------

Echo takes the moment to peek out of the room after Rex and Crosshair leave. The new cybernetics are amazing, the legs that General Skywalker constructed were perfect for heavy duty use on the battle field, the socket arm could be detached and replaced with something else once something is built. He plans to construct a hand so he can fire a blaster again.

His Wildflower seems to be conversing with another doctor. When Rex speaks she sidesteps the man. "They cybernetics fit perfectly. Tech did a good job on his arm." 

A smile spreads across her face. "Good! That's great." She chirps happily. He takes a moment to look her over, her smile is sweet, so sweet. Her uniform doesn't quite fit her tiny frame, like they gave her the smallest size but it still didn't fit. She wears the standard combat boots, they look out of place, scuffed and dirty among the pristine white of their surroundings. 

The doctor looks between Crosshair and Rex before he turns back to her. "Is that the defective one? Funny, he found one of the ones with a mutation. And we really shouldn't have wasted resources on the other one. Brand new cybernetics for something as damaged as him? We should have sent him back to Kamino and scrapped him for organs." Defective one? Is he talking about Crosshair? And Rex dyes his hair. Echo places a hand over his stomach. These are his organs and his organs alone, thank you very much. 

Echo watches as her eyes narrow and her lips curl in a snarl. She lunges, pushing the man across the hall into a wall, pinning him with her forearm across his neck. For such a small woman she has decent strength, or maybe the guy is just as wimpy as he looks. All bark, no bite. Her voice drops an octave, "Say another word and I will jettison your ass into space. You will not disrespect Captain Rex or Echo or Crosshair. Or any of the other clones for that matter. I will let them pick you apart piece by piece and then I'll heal you back together so they can do it again." She presses harder into his neck. She had to have learned the trick somewhere, maybe one of her team taught her how to utilize it. "Take the ego down a notch, and reevaluate your life choices before I reevaluate them for you." She growls maliciously before she let's him go. Echo's jaw drops. No one has ever defended him like that. Defended his brothers like that, sure the Jedi care about them but not enough to shove someone into a wall and threaten their wellbeing. It's so jarring to see. Someone cares about them, all of them. As people. Sentient beings. 

"Feral bitch." The doctor rubs at his neck before stalking off down the hall. 

She turns to the stunned nurse standing in the doorway of another room. She takes a breath before speaking politely. "Please get room 309 ready for discharge. I will be taking over his care from the surface. Thank you."

The nurse just nods, eyes wide, before he scuttles away. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how I feel about this chapter, what do y'all think? Should I keep it the way it is? I don't know. Nothing I write seems to fit lately and it's bugging me. I feel like the only thing I can really write well is conflict, like let the charecters argue, cause that's what I'm good at. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Please stay safe and sane out there!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for stopping by! Tell me what you think!

He knows when one of the commandos walks into a room because it gets quiet, the noise replaced with shock and awe coming from all parties, Echo knows because the silence used to be directed at him, well him and Fives. 

"How was perimeter?" Kix asks the elite soldier. 

"It's still there." Her voice flows into his ears, it's modulated through a helmet, but he can tell it's hers. A laugh bellows out from someone else. They called him Wrecker, he thinks. Her voice goes soft. "How is he today?" 

"He fought me when I tried to him to eat a protein stick, that's usually a good sign." Kix says. 

"That's good. I just want to check on him then we'll be out of your hair." She says. 

"Good, he was asking for you earlier." Kix says. 

Her laugh travels with her through the room, "Knock, knock! Up for some visitors? I know it's still pretty early." Her voice comes from just beyond the curtain. 

"Come in." Echo calls nervously. 

She slips through the curtain followed by the mountain that is her team mate. He's huge. "We just got done with perimeter check, I just wanted to see how you were doing." She has a lopsided grin on her face. 

He can finally take a good look at her armor. The modified phase two helmet looks similar to her sargents, a daintier skull painted onto it. Her left pauldron bears the mark of her team, the right, the usual medics symbol painted on every medics shoulder. There's a thorny green vine that winds it's way down her left arm. The plastoid is the same gunmetal grey and black as the rest of her team, the crimson stripe painted down the center of most of the pieces. The armor bulks up her frame significantly, makes her look more like a clone, a very small clone but one none the less. A DC-17 hand blaster strapped to her hip and a DC-17m slung across her chest, her medpack is still strapped to her back. She looks intimidating and deadly. He has to remind himself that she is, that this is how she looks on a daily basis now, she isn't the medic he used to bring rations to when she took double shifts. "They gave you armor." His mind decides that's what he's going to say.

Wrecker laughs. It's loud and fills the space. He drapes his arm around her. She sends a grin up to him. "The missions that the boys go on are a little crazy. Running around in my field uniform wasn't going to cut it anymore so they upgraded my gear." She explains. 

Echo hates to admit it but he keeps pushing the fact that she belongs to another team into the back of his head, she'll be leaving when they do, no matter how much he cares about her. 

"Kix said you were doing well. I'm thinking about having them discharge you tomorrow after a few more tests. Let you go back to the barracks if you want. You'll have a med droid with you for a few days just to make sure, but keeping you cooped up in the medbay isn't going to do you any good." She says to him, placing her hands on her hips. The brute nudges her, "Oh. That's right, we have to go check in with General Windu. I'll come back alone in a little bit." She smiles at him before she turns and slips her helmet back on and slips out of the curtain. 

\---------------------------------

Wrecker follows behind her as they weave their way out of the medbay. She seems happier than she was earlier. He's thinking that Crosshair might be right, that she does have feelings for Echo. She's so gentle with him, with shy smiles and lingering touches. 

"You alright, Wreck?" She asks once they're out of the medbay. 

"'M fine, Speck." He says to her, slinging an arm around her shoulder. Her silence means she's doubting him. She knows something he doesn't. He walks with her to central command, he drops his arm when they get close and her posture improves. 

"General Windu, we are back from our perimeter sweep. Everything was clear." Her voice is hard. 

"Thank you, Officer. You are dismissed." The Jedi doesn't even look up from the holomap. 

She turns on her heel and begins to walk away when someone calls her name. "Flora!" The Coruscanti accent is crisp. 

"General Kenobi," She slides her helmet off. "What can I do for you, sir?" She asks the High General. 

"Cody wanted me to put in the paper work for a promotion for you. It has been submitted and you will know before the end of the day." The Jedi tells her. 

"Oh, um thank you, sir." She says, shifting her helmet from hand to hand. "Will this effect my team assignment at all?" Wrecker looks between her and Kenobi. She doesn't want to leave does she? "Because I won't leave this team." She stands proudly. 

Kenobi chuckles. "I won't take you from your team. Don't worry."

She relaxes her stiff posture a bit. "Thank you, sir." She says.

"You are dismissed Officer." He tells her. 

With a sharp salute she turns on her heel once again and makes her way back to Wrecker. She looks conflicted and confused. "You okay, Speck?"

"I'm not sure what rank I am? I didn't go to the Academy like most of the officers. I came straight from the Jedi temple, but I'm not a Jedi knight or a padawan learner. I'm apart of the GAR as much as I'm a part of the Jedi Order. I feel like I just fell through the cracks along the way." She shrugs. 

He smiles and throws an arm around her. "I wouldn't worry about it. You're sticking with us and that's all that matters."

\---------------------------------

She knows something is wrong when she walks up the ramp of the _Marauder._ It's quiet, no sounds of Tech babbling away or working on something, Hunter isn't sharpening any knives, Crosshair isn't snoring in a corner. It's eerie.

She turns back to Wrecker who just shrugs at her, maybe they're at the mess. She takes off her medpack and rolls her shoulders, being in an active war zone means she has to carry more supplies just in case something happens. She also sets aside her DC-17m when she hears it, hushed bickering coming from the racks, probably just Cross and Tech. She shakes it off and goes back to her weapon. 

\---------------------------------

"You're just okay with her having a relationship with him?!" Tech hisses at Crosshair. 

"She's allowed too. She's a free walking woman. She can do what she wants." Crosshair brushes it off. He doesn't tell Tech about what he saw at the med station, how happy she looked when she was talking to Echo, what she told him out in the hall. It wouldn't be fair to her. He'll keep her secret for now. 

Tech continues to pace the length of the room. "Were they together before he was captured? Is that it? What's so special about him? He's just an ARC trooper."

Crosshair sighs, he just wants to go back to sleep. "You could always go ask her. They should be back from perimeter check by now."

Tech stops. "Fine!"

\---------------------------------

"I'll be spending most of the day in the medbay, they could always use more help down there. Just comm me if anything comes up." She tells Wrecker as she racks her weapon. 

"Where are you going?" Tech asks as he comes out of the sleeping quarters.

"Medbay." She chirps in reply. 

"Going to go see Echo?" He asks, his tone is clipped and irritated. 

"I mean he's there until at least tomorrow, so I'm sure I'll run into him." She shrugs as she places her medpack in it's designated corner. 

"You like him a lot, don't you?" His words are laced with venom. 

"He's an old friend, it's nice to have him back." She answers in confusion. 

"A friend? We see the way you look at him. And the way he looks at you. We aren't stupid." He approaches her. 

She knew this would happen eventually, one of them would find out. She sighs. "Tech, I ju-" 

"Were you going to tell us about him? What was he to you?" The volume of his voice starts to raise. "What's so alluring about this reg?" 

"He wasn't anything to me. Not yet." She answers honestly. She didn't get the chance. 

"Not yet? What does that mean?" Tech is getting more and more frustrated, Crosshair walks out of the sleeping corners and stands by Wrecker. "Why does he call you Wildflower?" 

She can't help the small smile that forms at the memory. "It was-" 

"You should see your face. Do you love him?" Tech accuses. "You do don't you?!" 

"Tech!" She tries to get him to calm down. "Take a breath, please let's talk about this." 

"Technically, he is talking." Hunter appears out of the cockpit. 

"You've spent all your time on the surface in the medbay or up at the med station with him. You could have came back to the barracks with us but you stayed with him." His voice finally cracks, his chest heaving. 

"He died! I didn't even have the chance to be with him, to love him! I mourned him! Do you know what it's like to lose someone and then see them everywhere all the time?! I saw his face everywhere! I couldn't escape it! I couldn't escape the fact that I lost him." She explodes. She looks at the four men standing in front of her, they all look so different. "He died. Another person I loved died. And I couldn't do anything about it. I didn't have a body to bury, I didn't have anything left of him. He was gone." Her lip quivers as she stares at the wall behind Tech's shoulder. "I got him back. He got me back, he got his life back. So forgive me for trying to spend time with him before I have to leave him behind again. He at least deserves that." She picks up her helmet and turns towards them once again. "I'll be in the medbay. Please, just give me some space. Comm me if anything changes." 

\----------------------------

The four men stand in stunned silence. "Was that what you were looking for, Tech?" Crosshair turns to the engineer with a snarl. "Did you ever think there was a reason none of us asked? We aren't blind!" 

"Crosshair, don't." Hunter tries to stop him. 

"He makes her happy." Wrecker murmurs. "But, she wouldn't leave. Commander Cody put in for her promotion and the first thing she asked General Kenobi is if she was able to stay with us." He turns to Tech. "She told him she wouldn't leave the team." 

"Her past isn't any of our business. She would have told us when she was ready." Hunter interjects. "Pushing her will only make her push us away." 

"She's going to work herself till she drops. You can deal with the fallout." Crosshair spits towards his youngest brother. 

Wrecker pats Tech's shoulder as he walks by following Crosshair. 

Tech looks down at the floor. "She's going to leave because of me." 

Hunter stands in front of him. "She won't. She's too stubborn. Just give her space like she asks. It'll be fine." 

\------------------------------

She focuses on the shattered wrist in front of her. The trooper is surprisingly quiet as her and Kix work. "You doin alright?" She asks. The trooper just nods stiffly. "Let me know if anything hurts." She exchanges a look with Kix as the trooper goes pale and clammy, he nods. "Okay, let's lay down. You're not looking too good." She guides the man as he lays down on the gurney. "Take some deep breaths. In, and out." He finally relaxes and takes a few shaky breaths. "That's much better. I'm going to heal this wrist now, alright? Just keep breathing for me." She walks him through the process as she heals the battered hand and wrist. "There, perfect. Just stay laying down and just relax for a few minutes, Kix will come release you in a bit." She nods at him before she exits the curtain dividing the rooms. 

"You've been up here for twelve hours. What's going on?" Kix asks. 

She shrugs. "Nothing to worry about. I just needed a break from the boys." 

"Things are winding down for the night. If you won't leave why don't you go keep Echo company? At least get off of your feet." Kix tells her more than asks. "I was made for this, you weren't. Go." 

Kix shoos her off in the direction of Echo's little corner. She stands outside of the curtain for several seconds before she speaks up. "Hey, you still awake?" She asks. When she doesn't get a response back she pokes her head into the curtain to see him sleeping contently. He looks peaceful for once. A chair was placed in the small space, probably by one of his brothers visiting him. She slinks her way over to it and gently sits down, she places her helmet at the foot of his bed and shucks off the top half of her armor, stacking it on the floor next to the chair. 

After a while she picks up the pauldron with the skull on it. She stares at the scuffed paint, she traces the image over and over. "So, which one of them broke your heart?" She didn't even notice someone poking their head in. She turns to them only to see it's Coric, "There are only two reasons for someone to longingly stare at an object like that. Someone is dead, which I hope not because a dead commando is way more paperwork than a standard trooper, or someones heart is broken. Now do I need to go get a body?" 

She sighs in frustration. "It was the engineer." 

"That didn't answer my question, _vod'ika."_ The fond mandalorian nickname rolls off his tongue. 

"He's not dead. At least when I left he wasn't." She shrugs as she goes back to staring at the plate of armor. 

"You let yourself be bested by him? The one with the goggles? Are you sure?" Coric asks as he moves into the space. She just lets her head drop. "The nerd got the drop on the Mighty Reaper? Miss Beat The Hell Out of a Doctor in The Hall of A Med Station?"

She looks up at him. "You heard about that, huh?" 

"Someone pulled it from the security footage. You're a legend." Coric lays a hand on her shoulder. "You're a badass. Don't let some _shabuir_ commando make you into anything else. Kick his _shebs_." He says in a menacing tone. 

"Who's ass are we kicking?" Echo slurs as his eyes blink open. 

"I'm not kicking anyone's ass, darling. Go back to sleep." She tells him with a smile. 

Echo grumbles before he turns his back to them. 

Coric retreats to the curtain. "I mean it kick their asses if they don't treat ya right." 

"I will, Coric." She gives him a fake smile. 

"Good, now get some sleep or I'll sedate you." He threatens as he slips through only to disappear into the medbay. 

\------------------------------

Crosshair walks with purpose towards the medbay, scowling at anyone in his way. It's been sixteen hours since Reaper disappeared and he won't tell anyone but he's _worried_. The thought of something happening to her eats away at his insides. 

When he walks into the medbay he is met with quiet, the room is dimly lit, the snores of injured troopers fills the air. A medic comes from around the corner followed by the 501st's ARC trooper. They both stiffen when they see him. "She left two hours ago, she didn't say where she was going. She didn't even talk to me. Please, leave my medbay unless you're dying." The medic points to the door. Crosshair turns without uttering a word. 

He continues through the base looking for her. When he enters an almost empty hanger he finds her sitting at the cliffs edge, staring out into the night sky. Her chin rests on her knee, one of her legs dangles off the edge, her helmet places beside her. "Go away, Tech." Her voice is hollow when she speaks. When he doesn't listen to her command she turns to tell him again. "Oh. It's you." She says before turning back to the sky. 

He sits beside her, his legs dangling off the edge of the cliff at a sickening height. He's not sure how she does it. "It's late." He knows she probably isn't up for going back to the ship just yet. He knows that she can go days without rest. "How's Echo?" He asks. 

She sighs. "When I left he was sleeping." She looks over at him. "Why are you so okay with all of this?" 

"You had a life before us." He replies. 

She huffs. "That's it? That's why?"

"He seems like a decent guy, for a reg." He tells her honestly. 

"Decent? Thanks, Cross." She continues to stare out. "I should just fling myself off of the cliff, won't have to worry about boy problems anymore." 

"You won't have to worry about anything, you'll be dead." He deadpans. He can tell she's tired of everything.

She looks over at him before she sighs. "How're the others?" 

"Hunter and Tech are doing perimeter check. Wrecker is asleep. Tech thinks you're going to leave. Hunter just wants to give you space." He explains. 

"I'm not going to leave. I already told Kenobi I wouldn't." She murmurs. 

"He knows. Wrecker told him. Doesn't make him feel any less bad. Even if he deserves it." He shifts back, leaning his weight on his hands. 

She looks him up and down. "Can you not? I'm trying to brood." She says. "Stupidly hot snipers, I swear." She mumbles angrily under her breath. 

He hauls himself off the ground. "Just be sure to eat something. Some of us have to sleep." He bends and kisses the top of her head before he turns and leaves her staring at the sky. 

\-----------------------------------

Tech looks into the empty hanger, expecting to find nothing but a few old crates but he sees a person sitting alone at the edge of the cliff. "Hunter, there's someone in here." He relays to the Sargent before he pulls his blasters. 

"Copy. On my way." Hunter's voice bounces around his helmet. 

Hunter jogs around the corner and nods as he pulls his sidearm. Tech moves into the open space, slinking along the back wall and crouches behind some crates. 

Hunter takes a more direct route, walking out towards the middle of the space before he stops. "This is a restricted area. What are you doing here?" His voice easily fills the space. 

The person stands and lazily puts their hands up, "Oh, relax. Will ya? I'm not allowed to look at the sky?" She says. 

Tech jogs across the space to stand beside Hunter, holstering his weapons. "We've been looking for you!" He calls. 

"Maybe I didn't want to be found." She responds, bending down to grab her helmet. "What do you want?" She walks towards him. 

Tech looks down at his boots. "I'm sorry. Please come back. We're worried about you. I'm worried about you." He corrects himself. This is his fault, he needs to fix it. 

"Tech-" She starts.

"I shouldn't have asked about him. It was none of my business. I was afraid you were going to leave. I was being selfish. I-" He stumbles over his words. "I can't lose you. I was too busy being jealous, I didn't see that you needed us to understand, I needed to understand. And, for that I apologize." 

She doesn't move for several seconds, he starts to panic. What if he said the wrong thing? What if she hates him? What if she doesn't come back with them and wants to stay in this creepy old hanger? It's been what? Seventeen hours since she left? He watches her closely.

Finally she sighs and walks towards him. She let's her helmet drop to the floor and hugs him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her face into his neck. She has to stand on her tiptoes to do so. After a second of shock he hugs her back, just as tightly. "I'm not going anywhere." She whispers against his skin. Hearing her say those words soothes the worries and constant questions plaguing his mind. He releases a shaky breath as he clutches her tighter. She pulls back to look at him. "I'll meet you back at the ship. Finish perimeter." He nods at her when she picks up her helmet and disappears into the dark hall. 

\---------------------------------

She piles her armor on the rack before she slides into the refresher, showering off the day spent in the medbay. She knows that Hunter will complain about her smelling like bacta and disinfectant if she doesn't shower. She let's her muscles relax as the hot water sprays down onto her. She shuts it off and stares at the droplets that fall from her hair for a moment, she will need to cut it soon, or invest in some pins to keep it out of her face.

She towels off and steps out of the refresher before looking for one of Tech's shirts, she knows that he will need the extra tactile sense that she isn't going anywhere and wearing his clothes is the easiest way to do that. If her smell sticks to it he will be fine. 

When she walks into the room Wrecker doesn't even stir, and Cross just mumbles and turns away from her. She stands and listens to them sleep, she lets the rest of the tension bleed out of her system with each breath they take. 

She crawls into her bunk and burrows into the blankets, letting herself drift off. 

\---------------------------------

Tech feels drained when he gives the report to General Kenobi. He leaves out the part where he found Reaper. The General dismisses them with a thank you and get some rest. 

When he gets back to the ship he racks his weapons and armor before trudging into the bunk room. Reaper lays curled up in her bunk and he can tell she's wearing one of his shirts. He looks between her and his empty bunk before he decides, crawling into bed with her. She latches onto him as soon as he lays down, she curls into his side and throws an arm over his waist. Her mumbles are soft and sleep filled. "Good night, Tech. Love you." She burrows her face into his shoulder as she falls back asleep.

He kisses the top of her head. "I love you too, Flora. Sweet dreams."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took longer to write. I'll toss some action into the next one, I promise. Stay safe and sane out there!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think!

The base in in chaos, another airstrike was launched, the second one since this morning. They were smart and moved a good amount of what they could further into the hangar. She runs across the tarmac, blaster clattering across her chest. "Kix! I'm on my way back!" She shouts through her comm. Her boots pound against the duracrete as fighters scream overhead, Republic fighters. Flight crew scatters and runs for cover. 

_"Reaper, we have injuries on the south side."_ Kix relays to her. 

She tries not to think about how her boys are on the south side. "Not a problem, on my way." Of course an airstrike happens while they were seperated, Tech helping General Windu with gathering intel, Cross and Wrecker on perimeter and Hunter in a meeting with other squad leaders. 

Vulture droids streak by firing on anything that moves. She keeps running, finding cover where she can. An airstrike usually means minimal casualties, their intentions are to knock out equipment not troopers, the injuries are usually shrapnel and burns from explosions. She barrels into cover and slams into a troopers chest plate. "Hey! Watch it!" She almost cries when she sees Crosshair, rifle propped up on a crate, Wrecker not far from him as he tends to a trooper. 

"Wreck! What do we have?!" She shouts over the fighters making another round. 

"He says his head hurts." Wrecker tells her.

The troopers head swivels towards her before he's reaching up to yank off his cracked helmet and emptying his stomach onto the duracrete, he has a massive gash on his head, blood streaking down his face. The trooper slumps back against a crate once he's done throwing up. "Concussion at least." She pulls out a flashlight and shines it into his eyes. Vultures scream overhead again. "We need to get him moved into some cover!" She's already pulling the trooper to his feet and throwing his arm over her shoulder. She drags the man deeper into the base where the rockets seem to shake the very foundation of the mountain. 

She lets the trooper slide down the stone wall and kneels in front of him, pulling off her pack. "Alright, let's get you fixed up enough for Kix, yeah?" She talks to the man. His eyes start to close before he shakes his head. "Hey! Hey! Stay awake for me, okay? What's your name? You 501st or 212th?" She asks as she digs for gauze. 

"Nack, 91st." He slurs. One of Windu's troops.

"Alright, Nack. You're doing great. I'm going to wrap your head and then we will get you to the medbay, yeah?" She asks as she leans the trooper forward. Wrecker crouches next to him and supports him so she can work better. "Thanks, Big Guy." She says. Once Nack's head is wrapped she stands him back up and supports his weight. 

"'M dizzy." He mumbles. 

"You have a nasty concussion, I would be worried if you weren't." She says. She activates her comm. "I have head lac, approximately four inches, dressed in the field. Possible concussion, vomiting in the field. Where's he goin'?"

She's met with crackling before someone finally comes in. " _Trauma three."_ The voice tells her. 

The air is silent, the attack over as soon as it began. She takes a breath as she continues to drag the trooper towards the medbay, Wrecker and Crosshair in tow. At least they're safe. 

\------------------------------------

Echo holds his breath as the base _shakes_ with the impact of a rocket. This is the second attack today. "Echo! I need you to man comms. Tell me what comes in." Kix grabs his shoulder and steers him towards the equipment. At least he can be useful. "Just direct them into each space. Trauma one through six. Got it?" Kix asks. 

Echo just nods and sits down, he's an ARC trooper he can do this in his sleep, it's just delegating. 

"Good, let me know when Reaper gets here. I'm going to need her." Kix rushes off when one of his medics come in carrying a wounded brother. 

The comms crackle to life and a voice pours through. _"I have a head lac, approximately four inches, dressed in the field. Concussion, vomiting in the field. Where's he goin?"_ Her voice is rushed and loud. He hears the fighters screaming in the background. 

"Trauma three." He responds evenly. He turns towards where Kix ran off. "Reaper inbound, sir!" He tries his best to shout over the increasing volume. 

She comes in and a flurry of motion follows her, two of her teammates follow her, Wrecker and the sniper. He still hasn't caught his name yet. She half drags a trooper along, blood seeping through the white gauze that's wrapped around his head. She passes the trooper off to a nurse when she reaches the third trauma room and pulls her team mates off to the side. She takes her helmet off and tells them something, nodding her head before she dismisses them and turns towards the chaos. Her eyes scan the room before she takes off towards Kix. On the way past Echo, she thrusts her helmet towards him. "Here, take care of this for me." She barely lets him grab it from her before she's running off beside a gurney.

He watches her as she moves through the room, she navigated effortlessly through the waves of people. She instructs nurses on where to put patients and helps medics with various procedures. She doesn't stop moving. At all. 

Eventually everything dies down and her whole team shows up. She has a soft smile on her face when they approach her, Tech reaches out for her and she hugs him. When she pulls back she places a hand on his cheek as he talks to her. That's when she notices the Sargent's bandaged arm. She pulls away from Tech completely and moves to him, laying her hand on his gently. Her face is full of concern and worry. She pulls him away from the rest of them and drags him into the nearest room, sliding on a pair of gloves in the process. She instructs him to sit and she stands inbetween his legs as she unwraps the injury. 

She leaves the room for a moment to grab supplies and that's when he sees the Sargent's soft smile. Echo's stomach drops when he realizes that Hunter is in love with her. 

\--------------------------------

Hunter watches her leave the room with a small smile on his face, if Cross was in here he would tell him he's whipped. He wouldn't admit it but she has him wrapped around her dainty little finger.

The smile melts from his face when he notices Echo sitting at a table full of comm equipment with his jaw dropped. Fuck, he knows. 

Reaper walks back in with a bottle of saline and a kit of some sort. "I have the utmost confidence that you cleaned this properly but just in case I'm going to again. Also we gotta get rid of those blisters before I heal it." She says as she sets everything up and snaps on a new pair of gloves. 

"Does Echo know about us?" He asks lowly. 

She frowns as she picks up a pair of scissors and some tweezers. "How do you tell your long lost boyfriend that you're in love with four men?" She moves to stand in between his legs again. She looks at the large blister on his arm with a vengeance. "You should have come to see me earlier." 

"Didn't want to bother you." He grits out as she begins cutting away the bubbled skin. 

"Sweetheart. My assignment is to be your teams medic. Anything else takes the back burner. You come first." She scolds gently. She reaches over for her bottle of saline and pours some onto the bright red skin and sops it up with some gauze. "There." She takes a step back and a smile grows on her face. "I haven't healed you with magic yet. You're the last one." 

Hunter's eyes flick between his arm and her hands as she shucks her gloves and hovers them over his arm. He's heard the boys talk about how it feels, hot and cold at the same time, like their skin was buzzing. Her eyes slip closed as she exhales. He watches as the magic swirls around her fingers. He gasps when he feels it, like a soft caress. It soothes the burn before it works on healing the tissue. He lets himself drown in the feeling, the soft touch he craves, he needs. It takes his breath away. 

Her eyes flash open and the feeling dissipates. She turns his arm this way and that getting a good look at the newly healed skin, when she's happy with the result she nods. "There. Much better, yeah?" She asks him. 

"Yeah." He breathes.

She collects her supplies and dumps them in the trash before she turns back to him, fitting herself back between his legs. "You okay there, Sarge?" She asks. 

He doesn't know what comes over him but he pulls her into his chest and wraps his arms around her. "Hunter..." Her voice is muffled against his chest. He nuzzles his face into her neck and she finally wraps her arms around him. 

"Thank you." He mumbles into her skin.

"For what, sweetie?" She asks as if she's clueless.

"For loving us. Loving me." He says.

"Oh Sargent, you've gone soft. I love you too, sweetheart." She pulls back with bright eyes. A hand comes up to caress his face and almost melts into her. "Hunter? Are you alright?" She asks with a concerned tone. 

"Was worried about you. We weren't there when the attack happened." He murmured. 

"You can't be everywhere at once, darling." She cards a hand through his hair. "I was running around battlefields before. I got this." 

\-------------------------------

Echo watches as she stands between the Sargent's legs. They are too close for a professional relationship, way too close. She speaks softly to him as she cleans the wound on his arm. She takes a small step back as she strips the gloves from her hands and lets her eyes slip closed. He's seen her use her 'gift' before. It's different than the Force healing he has seen Jedi generals use. It doesn't affect her energy like it does with the Jedi, he has seen her use it over and over again as she moved through the battle field. 

He watches as the magic swirls around her and the mans arm, the minute ticks in the way her fingers flex. Her eyes flash open and she inspects her work carefully. 

The Sargent's eyes grow soft as he looks over her. She doesn't even realize he's staring like that. She gathers her supplies and dumps what she can in the trash before turning back to him with a concerned look. She's pulled into his arms with a start, his face buried in her neck. She wraps her arms around his shoulders and draws him closer. 

Echo feels like he's intruding on something private. When they finally pull apart she rests a hand on his cheek and gives him a smile. She runs a hand through his hair as she talks to him. She's tender and kind with him. Just like she is with him. 

His chest contracts painfully when he reaches forward and kisses her forehead. She found somebody else. He's too late.

\---------------------------------

Kix and Jesse sit a ways away from the group of commandos in the mess. Everyone is going about them in two ways: 1. They avoid them like the plague or 2. They want to be their best friends. 

Kix watches as the trooper in gold bumps Reaper for the thousandth time in the past three minutes. Her eyes close and she sighs before she reopens them and focuses on what Tech is saying to her. 

"Look at her. She's just sitting there with them." Jesse nudges him as he tears into his ration. 

"She's part of their team. Why wouldn't she sit with them?" Kix asks as he watches their interactions. The team is incredibly close, huddled together talking about only Maker knows what. 

The trooper in gold bumps her again, knocking her into the Sargent. The trooper doesn't seem to see the snipers death glare directed towards him. The woman ignores the trooper and goes back to her conversation. 

"Do you think they're gonna kill him?" Jesse asks excitedly. Some days it's hard to believe that Kix came from the same batch as Jesse and Hardcase. 

Kix remains silent as he watches the situation unfold, will she reprimand the trooper, or just let him carry on with whatever he's doing? 

The trooper turns to her and says something, moving his spork towards her plate. This. This right here is why Kix doesn't eat in the officers mess. The drama. 

The woman turns to him with a deadpan look before she jams a vibroknife into the table entirely too close to the troopers fingers. Jesse goes wild. "Where did she even get that from?! They turned her feral!! Holy shit!!"

Kix sits with his jaw dropped. That isn't like her at all. She would have asked the trooper to back off sure, but threaten to stab him? Holy hells! What did they do to her? 

The mess goes silent at the thunk against the table. Every mans eye is on her and the trooper as she stares him down with her eyebrows raised. The rest of her team glares at the man. "I- I'm sorry sir." The trooper squeaks. 

Without another word she turns back to her team who picks up the conversation like nothing happened. 

Eventually everyone goes back to their food and conversation. 

Kix keeps an eye on her as she laughs at something the brute said. This isn't the Reaper that they know and love. She's changed, they've changed her. He should have seen it before, the bold moves in the medbay, the way she almost knocked out Katrizap when she was up at the med station, the way she holds herself, less insecure and unsure. The modified Katarn armor holds her better than her field uniform ever could. She was born to do this, be something bigger than she was when she was with the 212th or the 501st. They've made her better, trained her to be something lethal and devastating. Trained her to be her best. He's proud of her. 

He stands and deposits his tray with the dish droid and walks with Jesse back to the med bay. She should be around to discharge Echo soon.

\------------------------------------

Echo sits on the edge of the bed, waiting for Wildflower. Kix and Jesse suddenly come through the curtain. "Ori'vod, you'll never believe what Reaper did at dinner?" Jesse says excitedly. 

Kix sighs. "A trooper tried to eat off her plate. It didn't go well for him." 

"She almost stabbed him!" Jesse exclaims. 

"Alright, boys. Enough with the gossip." Her voice cuts through over Jesse. The ARC slinks off as she approaches. She smiles at Echo before turning to Kix. "Can you get me all of his test results since he's come in."

When he walks off she closes the curtain and sits next to him on the bed. She only has half of her kit on. "Heard you tried to stab someone at dinner?" He breaks the silence. 

"The trooper deserved it. He was an ass." She deadpans. She looks over at him and studies him for a moment. "Something else is on your mind." She has always known how to read him. How to read any of his brothers. She reaches for his hand and she lets her weave their fingers together.

"I saw you with your team today." He says softly. He doesn't want it to come of as judgmental or full of jealousy. 

She sighs. "It's complicated, Echo." She says. 

"He loves you." He says. "You should see the way he looks at you." 

She smiles a little. "Hunter's in deep." 

"And I think Tech has a crush on you." He continues. 

Her smile fades a little. "Yeah, he might." She looks down at the floor. 

"You're happy with them?" He asks. 

She nods. "I am." 

"Then that's all that matters." He says.

\--------------------------------

She has to tell him the truth, she just has too. She stares at the floor. "Then that's all that matters." His voice sounds so broken. This is killing him. 

"Echo." She looks at him.

Suddenly Kix flings open the curtain and hands her a datapad. "Here's those tests." He says. 

She deflates as she takes the pad. She looks over the numbers before she hands it back to him. "Alright. Everything looks good. Let's get a med droid assigned to him, yeah?" She tries to sound like herself as she stands. "We can finish our conversation in a bit." She lays her hand on Echo's shoulder. He nods. 

"Oh? Did I interrupt something?" Kix looks between the two of them.

"Nothing important." Echo covers for her. "I'll see you in a bit, Reaper." He says to her. He used to name, not his nickname for her. It makes her chest tight. He thinks she belongs to someone else. It kills her to see him like that. 

"I just need your signature and then I can handle the rest." Kix hands her a datapad and a stylus. 

She takes the pad and signs quickly. "Just let me know when he goes back to the barracks. I'll go check on him." She gives the medic a smile. 

"Of course. I'll comm you." Kix smiles at her as he walks back to Echo's corner of the medbay. 

She stands for a moment and tries to collect herself. She slips on her helmet before she walks into the evening light. 

\--------------------------------

Wrecker watches the woman organize her medpack. She twirls her hair around her finger as she takes inventory. "What are you worried about, Speck?" He asks when she starts to tug lightly on the strand. 

"Hmm? Oh, nothing, Wreck." She says. 

"It's Echo. Isn't it?" He says. 

She looks up at him before she sets down the box of gauze she picked up. "I released him from the medbay earlier. That's all." She shrugs but he can see through it. 

"Why does he call you Wildflower?" He wants to know. 

She smiles. "The 501st and the 212th were on a little planet in the Outer Rim. We were helping a village that got ransacked by the droids. I had been helping the healer for the past few days, I was on my feet for hours that day. She dragged me out of the med tent and sat me down on this rock that looked over a field of gorgeous wildflowers. The inhabitants of the planet didn't have hair, they had organs similar to lekku, at the time I still had long hair, it was braided back. A group of kids noticed me sitting on this rock all alone and they came up to me and starting talking to me. One of the girls went and picked a whole bunch of flowers and started weaving them into my hair. Soon all of them were sticking flowers in my hair. 

"Fives and Echo had just got back from ARC training, I hadn't really interacted with them very much before this mission. They were gone when I first started working with the 501st. Well, they came out to look for me, Captain Rex needed me for something. This swarm of children looks up at these two fully decked out ARCs and the same girl who started this begs them to let them put flowers in their hair. So, Fives pushes me off of this rock and sits in my place as these kids go nuts." She laughs. 

"Echo ends up sitting cross-legged next to me as they stick flowers in his hair. One of the girls asks out of no where if Echo was my boyfriend and his face just lights up with the brightest blush I had ever seen. I thought he was going to pass out. So Fives looks me straight in the eyes and says, "I don't know Wildflower, you think Echo is boyfriend material?" with the worst wink. After that it just kind of stuck. I was Wildflower to them." She shrugs. 

"Fives?" Wrecker asks. 

"Fives was Echo's batchmate. They used to call them The Domino Twins." Her face goes sad. "All I know is that something happened on Ringo Vinda and he was killed because of it." She looks down at her hands. "I thought I lost him, Wrecker. I thought Echo would just be forgotten about. Just another casualty in a war that really doesn't need to be fought." 

Wrecker reaches out for her and drags her into his lap. She settles against him, her ear over his heart. "He's going to be okay, Speck. You made sure of that." He cuddles her close, tucking her head under his chin. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M LOSIN MY SHIT YALL!!!! A WHOLE SHOW ON THESE FERAL BASTARDS??!?!?!?!?!?!? LIKE HOLY HELLS!!!!!!! MORE CONTENT!!!!!!! I THINK I'M HAVING A STROKE!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW:!!! Alludes to group sexy time, seizures, nightmares, panic attacks. I think that's all of them. Let me know if I miss any and I will for sure fix it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Thanks for stopping by. I love feedback, let me know what you liked or didn't like!

She stands against the counter as Kix talks to her. "Rex is going to take him back to the barracks, you're free for the night." He says. "Try to get some rest, please." She can hear his pointed look.

"I will, Kix. Don't hesitate to comm if you need me." She says. 

"Oh, and congrats on the promotion, LT." Kix says before he cuts the line. 

Crosshair looks at her with his eyebrows raised, "LT? As in Lieutenant?"

"EEELLLLL-TTTTTEEEEEEEEEE!" Wrecker bellows out as he comes into the room, the other two following close behind. 

Tech moves to stand in front of her, taking her hands in his. "Congratulations Lieutenant Grimm." He says. Her face flushes when he leans in and kisses her softly. 

Her moment with Tech is interrupted by Wrecker yanking her away and into the air somehow settling her on his shoulders with some manhandling. She laughs at the pouty face Tech wears. 

Hunter stands in the doorway with a small smile on his face, "The promotion went through, as you can tell. I got it back from Cody about two hours ago." 

She smiles and crosses her arms over Wrecker's head leaning over them casually. "I'll have to tell Commander Cody thank you next time I see him." 

Tech's eyes grow wide and mischievous, a smirk spreading across his features. "We should celebrate." 

\--------------------------------

Incessant beeping creeps into her consciousness, dragging her to the surface of wakefulness. Her eyes finally flash open as she flings Crosshair's arm from around her waist only to come upon Tech still plastered to her side, arms caging her in."Tech. Techie, sweetie." She nudges his shoulder as she tries to reach for her comm. 

He groans and tries to burrow further into her. "Don't go." He tries. 

"I have too." She whispers to him, carding her hand through his hair as he kisses her exposed skin. "It could be an emergency." 

He presses one final kiss into her skin before he finally let's go. She silently slips out of their grasps and grabs her clothes and comm from the floor. As she slips her shirt on she answers. "Medical Officer Grimm."

She grabs her boots and slips out of the sleeping quarters when a frantic voice talks back. _" Lieutenant, this is ARC trooper Jesse. I tried Kix but he's dealing with an emergency right now." _

"Jesse, slow down. What's going on?" She jams her feet into her boots and starts to assemble her lower armor as quick as she can.

_"It's Echo ma'am. He's shaking and gripping his head. His eyes... they're shaking? I don't know." Jesse babbles._

"Lieutenant. I need you to calm down and listen. I'm already on my way. I'll be there soon." She grabs the strap of her medpack and scrambles out of the ship. "Describe the shaking? Is he cold? Is he jerky or just shaky?" She needs to make sure he isn't having a seizure. 

_"It's like he's shivering."_ Jesse replies. 

Her boots pound against the tarmac for the third time today, the bare bones of flight crew watches as she crosses the dark stretch of duracrete with mild interest. A medic running in the dead of night is never a good sign. "Good, Jesse. I'm almost at the ARC barracks. Just a few more minutes. Is he saying anything at all? Repeating anything?" She asks. 

_"He's whimpering. I think he had a nightmare."_ Jesse says. 

A nightmare could have triggered the response. Echo was bound to be a mess of PTSD that will need to be sorted out. She rounds the corner, and all but sprints past central command where General Kenobi and General Windu stand at the holotable, they watch her with intense concern but she pays them no mind as she talks to Jesse. "Is he hurting himself at all?" She asks almost out of breath. 

_"No, I don't think so. He looks like he's in pain."_ Jesse answers with a practiced calm. If ARCs are good at one thing it's being calm in a crisis situation. _"Do you know what's wrong with him?"_

"A nightmare could have triggered a psychogenic non-epileptic seizure." She slides across the metal platform outside the ARC barracks and punches in the override code, the door slides open and she barrels through it, sliding her medpack off her back and down her arm. 212th and 91st ARCs blink up at her sleepily as she moves through the room to where Jesse in crouched in front of Echo. He looks at her with a mix of fear and worry. "How long has this been going on?" She asks as she pulls her scanner from her bag.

"Fifteen minutes maybe? I woke up when he started making noise. I got him to sit up before the shaking started." Jesse tells her.

She scans his head and torso, nothing comes up, no bleeds in his brain or hidden injuries they may have missed. She tries to catch her breath the best she can. "Nothing came up on the scan which is good. No clots or bleeds." She tells Jesse. She nudges him to move aside and kneels in front of Echo. "Echo, Honey? Can you hear me?" She asks, pulling a penlight out of her belt and shining it into his eyes, they jerk back and forth just like they were when he came out of the stasis chamber. She shoves the light back in her belt pouch before she gently pries Echo's hand from the side of his head, checking his pulse. It's fast, too fast for him to be trying to recover. 

"What's happening to him?" Jesse asks. 

"The human mind is tricky. Echo has experienced way more trauma than the average soldier. His brain is trying to come up with a way to cope with that trauma on it's own. His nightmare may have triggered a psychogenic non-epileptic seizure." She says. Echo slowly stops shaking. "It's a physical manifestation of extreme stress." She watches as Echo slowly starts to relax. "Hey there, sweetheart. Can you hear me?" She asks. 

His fingers flex around her hand. "Wildflower?" He slurs. 

"It's me. Can you tell me your name?" She asks. 

His eyes crease in concentration. "Echo."

She smiles. "Amazing." 

His eyes slowly start to clear and focus, he blinks a few times before he focuses on her face. "My head hurts." He mumbles. 

"Does anything else hurt?" She asks. 

He shakes his head as he looks at Jesse. "What happened? Why is she here?" 

"Jesse was just worried about you. You were shaking pretty badly. Do you remember anything?" She asks softly. 

"It was cold, it was always cold. Lines and lines of code." His eyes start to become unfocused and glossy. 

"Echo. Echo, look at me." She coaxes him out of the memories. 

His eyes flit to his hand in hers. "Why are you here?" His voice breaks. "Shouldn't you be with your team?" He tries to grit out but it loses it's edge. 

Her heart shatters. "Jesse, give us a few minutes please." She turns to the worried ARC. He nods and turns back to his bunk, laying down and facing away from them, the best privacy they could get. She faces Echo who has tears in his eyes. He looks hopeless. She stands from her place kneeling before him and reaches for him. He watches as her hand connects with his shoulder and she steps closer to him, wrapping her arms around him and rests his head on her stomach. She smiles at the memory of a drugged up Hunter confessing his love for her in this exact position. 

Echo slowly reaches up and wraps his good arm around her, nuzzling deeper into her shirt. "You smell the same." He mumbles. 

She rubs at his back and shoulders. "My species produces something called geosmin. A compound that is produced by bacteria. Also the oils my skin produce are more similar to that of plants than to that of humans." She babbles. Tech sat and asked hours upon hours of questions about her species and planet. What she didn't know they learned together. "How's your head?" She asks him.

"Better. You can go back." His words are still slurred and shaky. 

"Mmm. I don't think so. Not yet. Do you want me to leave?" She asks, trailing a hand over his buzzed hair.

\----------------------------------------

Gods, no he doesn't want her to go back to her team. He wants her to crawl into bed with him. He wants to burrow into her, breathe in her scent and wrap himself around her. "No." He says, he curses his brain for making speaking so difficult. 

"Then I won't go. I'm not going anywhere." She smiles down at him, rubbing a circle into the back of his neck. He let's his eyes slip closed as he leans against her. He lets himself lean against her for several minutes as his brain tries to put itself back together. A seizure she said, he heard her voice through a fog. It sounded distant and muffled. It took everything he had to focus on that voice and not drown in the murkiness that was his own mind.

He nuzzles into her, he wishes it was her skin that his face was pressed against instead of her blacks. She has always been there for him. He can't bear the thought of her leaving. He tries to ignore the way she smells a little bit like someone else. The smell of their soap lingering just underneath the surface. His brain knits itself back together as she runs her fingers through his buzz cut. He has to tell her. He has to tell her that he loves her because he almost didn't get the chance to before. He was too much of a coward to just tell her how he felt. 

"I still love you." She blurts out. 

"I'm in love with you." He admits.

His head whips up too fast and he swears he blacks out for a second. He can't believe how similar the confessions sound, blurted out at the exact same time, like the universe pushed them just the right way.

"But, Hunter-" Echo starts. 

Her eyes close with a sigh. "It's complicated." Her voice drops to a small squeak. "It's not just him."

Oh, well with the way she was giving Tech affection makes sense. "That's okay." He says. It doesn't matter who she loves, or who loves her. He just wants her to be happy. She stares at him like she was expecting him to be disgusted with her. Her eyes are full of fear and worry. Then she goes soft, her fear and tension finally melting away.

She blinks sleepily and yawns. "Oh goodness. Sorry." She apologizes. 

"Come to bed." He says, it falls out of his mouth like he's said it everyday for years. 

She finally pulls back from him, setting the medkit out of the way and she starts stripping the lower armor she is wearing, it seems she didn't bother with the top portion except for her left vambrace. She takes off the armor with a practiced grace that proves to him that she's been wearing it for months. She slips off her boots and tucks everything away before she moves back to the bunk. 

She crawls into the scratchy sheets and settles, turning to face him as he crawls in after her. He takes a moment to look at her face, she's just as beautiful as she was when he left for the Citadel. The only difference is the lack of deep, dark circles under her eyes, she's been getting a good amount of sleep. He lets his eyes flit to her lips, they looks so soft. He moves closer to her and he watches as her colorful eyes scan his face before she's leaning in. 

He was right. Her lips are as soft as they look, maybe even softer. He's waited so long for this, since the first time he saw her in that field, flowers tucked into her hair. He lets his eyes flutter shut and he just feels, feels her warm and soothing against him, he feels safe in her arms. 

When she pulls away he chases her lips and he's rewarded with another kiss, one that's lighter and chaste. "Goodnight, Echo." She murmurs against his mouth. She barely pulls away, resting her forehead against his as her eyes slip shut. 

He let's his eyes drift closed, "Goodnight, Wildflower."

\------------------------------

Crosshair was pissed. He fell asleep with his arms full of a gorgeous almost naked Tithean and woke up to being the meat in a snuggle sandwich, trapped between Hunter's vice like grip and a fully nude Tech. It was a truly horrifying experience. 

Speaking of the woman who left him high and dry, she makes her way across the tarmac, half kitted up and her hair a mess whipping around her, her medpack bouncing with every step. She dodges troopers with a smile on her face, stopping to chat with two, one in blue and the other in gold. Her laugh rings through the air as she places her hand on their shoulders and then she's moving towards him again. 

She frowns when she gets close enough to see his face. "You're grumpier than usual." She says. 

"You would be too if you woke up next to your naked youngest brother." He puts a toothpick in his mouth as he stares her down. 

"There was an emergency. I thought I would be back. Sorry." She looks down at her boots. Echo.

He sighs. "Is he okay?" He asks with a roll of his eyes. 

"He's fine." She says as her face flushes. She drops her medpack to the duracrete and rolls her shoulders before picking it back up again. "You think they would give ARCs better bunks. I guess not." She says. "I'll go get kitted up. Are the rest of you up yet?" She asks. 

"Just Tech." He replies. 

She nods and looks down at her boots before she gives him a weary smile and heads up the ramp. Something is bothering her. He bets it has something to do with Echo. Maybe it's time he go pay Echo a visit. 

\------------------------------

She smiles when she sees Tech sitting at the table, his tools spread out around him as he works on his helmet. As she walks by she kisses the top of his head. 

"You're back. What was the emergency?" He asks. 

"A seizure. Kix was busy with another emergency so I had to step in for awhile. Nothing too serious, luckily." She says. 

"I didn't know the regs were prone to seizures. Is this something you've seen before?" He asks, blinking up at her. 

"It was trauma induced, unfortunately. I've seen a few." She tries to leave out as many details as she can. Tech already isn't a fan of Echo, she can't have him questioning his health. 

"You should get some rest. We don't have any other orders or missions yet. Take the time to relax." He focuses back on his task. 

She runs a hand through her hair when she remembers the stack of books that were tucked away in her bag. If she has the day off she might as well study. "I'm going to go over a few books I got the last time we were on Coruscant." She says to him as she drops her medpack in it's little corner before digging out her duffel bag from it's storage cabinet. 

She smooths her hand over the ancient leather cover, letting her eyes slide shut as she feels the magic pulse through the runes etched into the cover and spine. It's warm and familiar and safe. She moves to the back of the ship and sits between two of the terminals, her back to the wall as she opens the cover. 

\-----------------------------

Crosshair sits outside of the ARC barracks, watching for Echo. He had seen the other 501st ARC wander out about fifteen minutes earlier so it's just a matter of time before the one he wants comes out. He rolls the toothpick between his teeth as the door finally slides open, only to reveal a trooper in 91st red. 

The thing with being a sniper that nobody considers is the patience the skill requires, sitting for hours while you wait for a target to let their guard down just long enough for you to take them out. He's sat for days, just watching and waiting. 

Half an hour later Echo emerges with a med droid bumbling along behind him. The ARC spots him immediately, barely concealed by the morning shadows. He pushes off of the crate he was leaning on as he approaches him. "Echo. We need to talk."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder that no two seizures are the same everyone experiences them differently! 
> 
> Sorry for this taking so long. My brother was visiting and I live in a studio apartment so I had to have a decent bed time for the first time in months. 
> 
> I hope everyone is still safe and sound out there!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for stopping by! Tell me what you think!

Echo knows he's waiting for him. He spots him in the shadows as he leans against a stack of crates, face twisted in a scowl and a toothpick between his lips. When he pushes off and into the morning light Echo gulps. The sniper is intimidating in his own way, he's a couple inches taller than the average clone, his thin frame doesn't make him shiver but the look in his eyes does, the way he stares into Echo's very being as if he can see into his soul. He remembers that Wildflower said his eye sight was enhanced, he could see for klicks upon klicks farther than anyone else. "Echo. we need to talk." He already knows that this has to do with Wildflower. 

He takes a breath before replying. "I'm needed for armor fitting. We can talk on the way." He tries to keep the nervousness out of his voice. A commando coming to speak to him has the same aura that being sent to the Captains office does. 

"Our girl, Reaper, from what I've gotten out of her it seems she has a thing for you." He puts emphasis on her name. 

"Before I was captured we were friends. We started to get closer. I didn't have the chance-" Echo starts to explain. 

The sniper holds up his hand silencing him. "I don't care what happened between you, if you hurt her we'll hunt you down and tear you apart. All four of us." He threatens. 

Echo doesn't know what to say to the threat, he knows not to take it lightly, but he also knows that he would never hurt her intentionally. He wouldn't do that to her, he wasn't capable of it. "I would never hurt her." His voice is unwavering, a declaration, a statement, not a hint of uncertainty in his tone. 

"Just remember what I said." And with that the commando struts off, leaving him baffled by the short encounter. 

\--------------------------------

She doesn't even look up from the books when Hunter enters the space. He knows the Jedi meditate, this has to be the closest thing to meditation he's seen, when she opens the ancient books her eyes seem to not leave the pages until she finds what she needs. He stands for a moment off to the side as he takes a sip of caf and he just watches her as her fingers skim through the pages and she mumbles in a different language, Tithean if he had to guess which one. She mumbles a string of words and holds out her hand, color dances over her palm before she closes her eyes, she says something else and it focuses shifting to a burning white.

When her eyes flash open they are they glow with the same burning white light. He can almost taste the power radiating off of her. When she speaks again her voice drips with ancient power. _"Mutnecconni mecap da iuq tnus. Erangup mucem tnus iuq soriv te em sagerorp. Tunrelutni merorret soh setnosni magetorp. Tnus sicap eauq oreauq erapissid tareutats ereled."_ He has no idea what she's saying but hearing the ancient language makes him shudder. He has watched the Jedi use the Force time and time again. This is different, it's a craft that she has perfected and learned. 

She turns to him, her eyes still blazing. "Sargent, you shouldn't stand so close when I practice a new spell. It could backfire." Her voice still holds power as she warns him. She closes her fist and smothers the light, her eyes fade back to their original kaleidoscope of color. 

She writes a few notes in her journal and then closes the books, scooping them up in her arms before sliding them into her duffel bag. She stands and shoves it back into it's designated cabinet before she turns back to him with a smile. "Good morning." She says sweetly. 

He holds out the second mug of caf that he made her, a daily ritual now, and she takes it with a smile and takes a sip, wrapping her hands around the warm ceramic. "Tech said you left in the middle of the night. Is everything okay?" He asks. 

She nods. "There was an emergency. Kix was indisposed at that very moment so I was called in. I stuck around for the rest of the night to observe the trooper." She shrugs without meeting his eyes. 

She smells like Echo, warm metal and regulation soap rations. She has no reason to be guilty, if he needed her he needed her. "We might be getting another mission with General Skywalker. Figured I'd let you know." He tells her.

She nods. "I'll put extra bacta in the medpack. Just in case." She moves around him and goes to grab her medpack, setting her mug on the table and reaching up into the extra supply cabinet. 

Wrecker walks in groggily, sitting down and blinking at her mug in front of him. He picks it up and takes a drink, before his face scrunches up. "That's mine, Wreck." She doesn't even have to look back. 

"Why is it so sweet?" Wrecker asks. 

"We used to let Commander Wolffe make caf when we were in the field. The man likes his caf as bitter as his attitude. I used to trade bandages for sugar rations, it was that bad." She explains as she places bacta pack in her bag. "I learned that he just didn't know how to make it properly." She shrugs. She places her pack in it's spot before she plucks the mug from Wrecker's hands and takes a drink. "Where did Tech go?" She looks around, eyes searching for the engineer who was camped at the table earlier. 

"He went to find Cross, inform him of the possible mission." Hunter says as he walks back into the sleeping quarters, yawning. "Until we get actual orders, don't wake me up." 

\-----------------------------

Wrecker reaches for her, "C'mere." He mumbles. He didn't get to sleep next to her last night like the others did. She moves into his space and he drags her into his lap, her legs winding around his waist when he stands. "Lets go back to sleep." He murmurs into her neck. 

She nods before nuzzling into his neck, laying her head against his shoulder. She soaks up his drowsy warmth as he lays down and drapes her on top of his body. It's peaceful, quiet with her. It always is, she keeps him grounded in a way nobody else has. He covers them both with a blanket before he wraps his arms around her, trying to pull her as close as possible. He buries his nose into her hair and breathes in her scent, before he drifts back to sleep. 

\-----------------------------

Echo looks at the armor. It's different than his ARC armor, and not in a good way. His ARC armor was heavy, like a security blanket, it reminded him that he was alive. This set of plates is much lighter, the plates few and far between. Sure, when he's recovered maybe he might get a new set, but it almost feels like they don't want him back in the field at all. If he can't be a soldier than why would they keep him around? He can hear Wildflower's muffled voice. " _The explosion damaged his spinal cord, without the implants he would be paralyzed. The ones they implanted were way too bulky for combat and everyday use. The ones I implanted will leave a smooth line of metal down the spine. You won't be able to tell if he even has them under standard armor."_ Her calm voice echoes through his mind. She seems to think he will get back into combat, he should trust her judgement. If she clears him then they don't have a choice but to put him back in the field.

He shares a look with the med droid. Maybe he can convince Rex to put him back in sooner if he can use his new tricks to stop Trench. He takes a breath and starts for central command. 

"Hey, need a lift?" One of flight crew asks, pulling up next to him. "Where ya headed?" 

"Central command. Thank you." Echo smiles at the trooper. 

The first thing he notices when he walks up to the platform is all three generals and their respected commanders. "We have more than a dozen active battlefronts on Anaxes and we are losing nearly every one." General Windu pulls up a holo of the planet. "But if Admiral Trench can no longer anticipate our moves, we now have the opportunity to retake the planet." He addresses the group of men. 

"I can improve your chances." Echo chimes in as he walks towards the holotable, med droid bobbing along. 

Rex looks at him with shock and worry, "Uh, Excuse me Generals." He walks towards him and places a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. "Echo, I'm sorry, but I just don't think you're ready for battle yet." Rex is worried about him. He gets it, but he can't just sit around while more of his brothers die. 

"I am not a liability, Rex." He tells the Captain. "I'm the best chance we have to take back Anaxes." 

Rex looks down and away from him his face betrays what he's thinking, he still doesn't think he's ready for this. 

"If the trooper has a plan, I'd like to hear it." General Windu announces. 

Echo tries to keep the smirk out of his voice. "May I?" He moves over to the holotable and plugs in. Code moves through his head as he talks. "While Master Windu leads a team to take back the assembly complex, the Bad Batch will escort me into Trench's new comm vault, which, according to current intel, is now located on this Separatist Dreadnought above Anaxes." He looks between the Generals as he continues. "Once I'm plugged in, I can feed Trench strategies, but this time, you'll know every move before he makes it." He unplugs and takes a step back addressing the room. It feels good to be doing this again, using his brain for something good. It's like he has cleaned out all of the cobwebs from the corners of his mind and it's sharp and bright again. 

"And you are certain that if we get you onboard that ship, that you can convince Trench's army to do what you want?" General Windu asks. 

"Absolutely. Unfortunately, I've been doing this for a while, but this time I can help bring about a Republic victory instead of a defeat." He says fiercely. 

The Generals nod, all seeming to agree on the plan. "I'll get orders sent out to Sargent Hunter." Cody tells them before turning away from the group.

Rex turns to Echo, laying a hand on his shoulder, "I'm coming with you."

\-----------------------------------

Her eyes flash open and Hunter is standing above them. "The last guy who did that got punched." She mumbles as she throws the blanket off and slides out of Wrecker's arms. "We have orders?" She asks. 

"It's a mission with Echo, Rex and General Skywalker. We leave in twenty." He says.

"Wrecker, come on." She nudges the giant who groans. "We have orders, Big Guy." She pulls on her boots before moving onto her armor.

With her medpack in hand she moves into the main area as Hunter explains the plan. "We will infiltrating one of Trench's dreadnoughts. Not exactly sure how yet. Hopefully the General will help with that part." 

\---------------------------------

Tech stands, looking at the datapad as he goes through his typical pre-flight inspection. Reaper grabs her blasters and helmet as she talks with Crosshair, who also holds a datapad. Cross nods along as she speaks softly. 

"Tech is everything ready?" Hunter asks. 

"Yup, Sarge. We are ready." He says as Rex walks up to him. Tech turns to the Captain. "Still not sure how we're gonna land on that ship." He scrolls through the blue prints for the dreadnought. 

Rex puts a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. Echo says he's got a plan." 

Oh, Echo has a plan? To get a group of commandos onto one of Admiral Trench's ships, one of the most feared Separatist leaders, after he was in their custody for a cycle and a half? Yeah, that sounds like a great idea. "That makes me feel so much better." He says, letting his doubt drip into his words. 

"What do you mean by that?" Rex asks defensively. 

"To be blunt his mind belonged to the Separatists until we unplugged him. We don't really know where his loyalties lie." He voices. 

"Yeah, well I know. Now, get moving." Rex orders. 

He turns and Reaper is standing there, medpack in one hand, helmet in the other. He face is a cold mask of indifference. Of course she was there to hear what he said. She turns and climbs the stairs into the ship. Shame bubbles into his stomach, but the logic still stands. He doesn't trust Echo, not yet. 

\---------------------------------

"Please tell me we're blowing something up?" Wrecker asks. She looks down at her boots with a smile. 

"Sorry, Wrecker. This is strictly stealth." General Skywalker tells him, his tone light and teasing. 

She has to hold in a laugh when he groans dramatically. "I hate that word!" 

"Echo, you're up." Skywalker places a hand on Echo's shoulder. 

She watches from her spot next to Hunter as Echo plugs into the terminal, "Don't worry. As soon as I plug in, I'll send a signal to the command ship." He explains. 

"What type of signal are you gonna send?" Hunter asks and looks back to Crosshair. "Nothing that'll give us away, right?" He doesn't seem to completely trust Echo either. 

"As far as the droids are concerned we're just gonna be another one of their shuttles coming in for a landing." Echo tells him. 

Yeah, alright. Maybe Echo is a little crazy, there's no way that's going to work. She shares a glance with Hunter. "And the regs think we take risks." He murmurs. 

She watches with bated breath as Echo works. What if this doesn't work? What if Tech and Hunter are right and he's just playing them? Her eyes are locked on the transparisteel as they make their way closer to the fleet. 

"Sending the signal... now." Echo cuts the tense silence. 

_"Roger, roger. Shuttle TC-159. You may approach and land."_ The voice of a battle droid cuts through the comms. 

She slowly breathes through her teeth as Wrecker groans again. "I'd still rather blow it up." 

"I have a feeling you'll get your chance." Tech tells him. "Coming in on final approach. Magnets on." 

She activates the magnets on her boots using her vambrace, it's not often that they have to use this feature of their armor, but Hunter still made her train a ridiculous amount on it. She slips on her helmet and tightens the straps on her blaster and medpack, ensuring everything is strapped down tightly. 

\----------------------------

Echo watches her as she runs through her final weapons checks and activates the magnets on her boots. He's never seen her like this, getting ready for a mission. He would always see her on the ground but never before the battle. She tightens her blaster across her chest and ensures that her medpack is secure. 

"Comm check." Tech's voice bounces around in his helmet. 

"Hunter." "Crosshair." "Wrecker." "Reaper." Each of them respond to the engineer. 

Rex turns to him confused, usually comm checks are done with their CT numbers, that's what the regs order. "CT-7567." 

"CT one four zero nine." Echo sounds off. 

Wildflower's whole body shudders at the sound. Crosshair lays a hand on her shoulder and she reaches up and taps it three times. Crosshair nods and taps back before he drops his hand. It must be a code of some sort between the two. He wonders what it means. 

Echo activates his own magnets when Rex does, just before the ship flips. 

\----------------------------

The flipping of the ship catches her by surprise a squeak leaving her mouth. Tech makes the landing as smooth and quiet as possible landing over an access hatch. He springs from the pilots seat, handheld in hand and quickly opens the hatch with the press of a few buttons. 

She flanks Echo's left as they move through the ship. It's quiet, intensely so. She grips her blaster tighter watching and listening for any droids. She thought the inside of a Separatist ship would be eerie. They don't looks too far off from the Republic's ships. 

They turn and make their way down a corridor, Tech opening blast doors as he goes. They stop when they hear metallic footsteps, gluing themselves to the walls as they pass. 

Skywalker gives them the signal and they keep moving. This stealth mission is going significantly better than the last. It makes her nervous, it almost seems too easy. "Reaper, Wrecker, Crosshair. You'll be covering the corridor. Keep them away from Echo and The General. I want Reaper in the doorway, Wrecker- blast doors, Cross will get the hall." Hunter orders. 

"Yes, sir." She mumbles in response. At least she will be there if something goes wrong. 

When they reach the end of the hall Tech opens a final set of doors leading to the comm vault. Skywalker gives one more signal and they scatter into their positions. Echo, Tech, Rex and the General pass her before she steps into the doorway, her back to them. She can hear the energy from the equipment, it pricks at her skin. 

"Tech, can you rig an interface?" Echo asks. 

Oh, the sass is coming. She can feel it. "I assume that's a rhetorical question." There it is. 

"We should make sure this comm vault has no other entrances." Echo advises. 

"I'm on it." General Skywalker rushes past her, light saber in hand. 

She turns towards the room, angling herself so that she can see them work and also watch the hall, Hunter and Wrecker stand a ways down the hall. Hunter stands with his helmet at his side and Wrecker is wearing his as a hat? If your going to wear the helmet just put it on correctly. She shakes her head fondly before she turns back to Echo. His back straightens as he plugs himself in to the system. Plugs himself in. She tries not to think about the wires and metal that run through him now. The wires her and General Skywalker placed. The only thing keeping him alive and together. "All right, I have access to everything and good timing. I just scanned a strategy request Trench sent to the Techno Union." He holds his hand to his head. 

"Wait!" Tech's voice rings out. "You can't just send a signal from here." 

"Why not?" Echo asks. Does Trench not know that Echo is gone? He must not if he sent a request to the Union. They must not have told him. Trench still thinks that he's on Skako. 

"We have to make it appear as if your signal is originating from Skako Minor. Otherwise, they'll know we are here." Tech explains. She nods along, for once understanding what's going on. She looks out, swiveling her head back and forth checking to make sure everything is still clear. 

Everything still looks good, Wrecker turns and gives her an enthusiastic thumbs up, a huge smile on his face. She laughs at his helmet hat. "How's everything down there, Cross?" She asks. 

"Still clear." He tells her. 

Skywalker turns the corner and comes to stand next to her. After removing her helmet she turns to him. "Hunter thinks you and Rex are a thing." She says. 

"I'm sorry, what?" The Jedi asks. 

"He thinks your banging your Captain. How's Senator Amidala, by the way?" She asks. 

"Woah! Slow down there, Lieutenant." He laughs. 

"Just trying to catch up on the latest gossip, sir. It's been awhile since I've been in the loop. It's less fun when there's only four people to get dirt on." She shrugs. 

Hunter breaks away from his conversation with Wrecker and makes his way towards them, he probably heard what she said. 

"I'm intercepting a transmission." Tech says causing all of them to turn towards him. It sends a shiver down her spine when Tech's voice drops into an accusatory tone, "Trench is ordering all of his droids to the assembly complex." She grips her blaster tighter. Why would Echo send all of Trench's forces to attack the Jedi? 

"All right Echo, what are you trying to pull?" Hunter asks menacingly. 

"Don't worry, that's what I told him to do." Echo turns to them. 

"Why would you do that?" She asks, an icy chill running through her. She stands slightly behind Hunter, just in case. 

"But our troops would be vastly outnumbered." Rex questions. Skywalker moves forward, a dark look on his face. 

She should have listened to Hunter and Tech, she shouldn't have blindly believed that Echo wasn't corrupted by the Separatists. Tech looks between her and Hunter his gaze careful. 

"Not when I sen them a feedback pulse that shuts down all the droids." Echo says with a smile. She loosens the grip. She doesn't know what to think anymore. 

"How do we know that's what you're really going to do?" Tech asks, she's surprised, he's never the one to add to the conflict. 

"We have to trust him." Rex says. 

Skywalker steps up. "Rex is right. Echo, we're all counting on you." 

Echo just nods and turns back to the terminal. She shares another glance between Hunter and Tech. 

Skywalker turns and holds up his comm. "Master Windu, I know this sounds crazy but it's about to get a little more crowded where you are." He tells him.

" _We have our hands full as it is. What is your plan?"_ Windu asks.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, it isn't my plan. Echo is drawing all the droids to your position, so he can neutralize them all at the same time." Skywalker explains. 

She turns back to the hall and slips on her helmet. "Still clear, boys?" She asks Wrecker and Crosshair. 

"Still clear, Speck." Wrecker answers her. 

She turns back to the room, watching as an energy pulse races up the terminal. Echo actually did what he said he would. A weight feels like it's lifted off of her chest. 

_"I am pleased to report that we are in control of the assembly complex, and all of the fronts are falling to the Republic thanks to Echo's plan."_ Windu relays to them.

"That's good news, Master Windu. We're on our way back to the base." Skywalker tells him. Hunter and Skywalker turn back into the room, "Good job, Echo."

"Well I guess you actually are on our side." Hunter says. 

"Was there ever any doubt?" Echo says, his eyes bright as he smiles. 

Tech leans down to him. "Some." 

"Well, thanks." He says. 

"Come on, brother. Unplug and let's get out of here." Rex smiles. 

"Wait! I just scanned a new order from Trench! He's initiated a countdown. There's a bomb hidden inside the assembly complex." Echo's words are frantic. "But it's big enough to destroy most of Anaxes." 

A bomb big enough to destroy most of the planet? Anaxes isn't exactly a small planet. 

"Can you stop it?" Skywalker asks, his voice low. 

"Well, I can try." Echo says. 

Skywalker turns and takes off running. "General, where are you going?!" Rex calls after him. 

"If you can't stop the detonation, perhaps Trench can!" Skywalker yells. 

Tech activates his comm, "General Windu, this is Tech. We've discovered a bomb in the fusion reactor. We need someone to go down there and help disarm it." He relays to the Jedi. 

" _I'm on my way."_ Windu replies. After a few moments he's back. _"Echo, I found the bomb. Tell me the sequence to shut it down."_

Tech crouches next to Echo. "You have to unplug! They're going to detect us!" He shouts, she's heard him yell during missions but never like this. It's frantic, fearful.

"No. No, we need these codes. The first number in the sequence is three. The next is one. Eight. Seven." Echo relays. 

She watches in horror as a pulse makes it's way down the terminal. "They're onto us! You need to unplug now!" Tech calls but it's already to late. The pulse courses through Echo's body. 

Tech lunges for him but she jumps in front of him. "Don't! We don't need you shocked too!" She physically restrains him from moving towards him. 

Rex doesn't listen and yanks Echo from the terminal. She crouches next to Rex as Echo flops around, the electricity still wreaking havoc on his nervous system. She yanks off her medpack and rifles through it, searching for the green vial and a syringe. "Come on, where is it?" She grits her teeth as she continues to dig. "There!" She shouts, pulling the vial from the bag and loading it into the cannister. "This will stop the seizure." She says as she jams the canister against his neck and pushes the plunger down. 

"The server overloaded his neural system, and it appears deliberate." Tech tells Hunter. 

General Windu's voice is still shouting through a comm. It grates into her brain as she tries to take Echo's vital signs. 

"That means Trench knows we're here." Hunter says. 

General Windu calls Echo's name again. Rex grabs his arm. "General Windu. Trench took out Echo. We can't get you the last number in the sequence. Sorry General, you'll have to disarm the bomb without us." 

_"Don't worry about me, just get your men out of there."_ Windu orders. 

Rex hauls Echo to his feet, looping an arm around his waist. Echo seems at least semi-conscious. She tags behind Rex and next to Tech as they make their way down the hallway. 

She hears the blasters before she sees them. "We've got company!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Delere statuerat dissipare quaero quae pacis sunt. Protegam insontes hos terrorem intulerunt.  
> Protegas me et viros qui sunt mecum pugnare.  
> Sunt qui ad pacem innocentum. -I seek to destroy the beings who have decided to obliterate the peace.  
> I will protect the innocent from the terror that these men have inflicted.  
> I will protect the men who fight alongside me.  
> For they are the ones who will bring peace back to the innocents.(Literal translation:Remove appointed to defeat the search of peace. I will protect the innocent with me, these are the men that have the fear of me, and Protect the brought in to fight. There are those who belong to your peace of the innocent.) (Tithean is latin backwards)
> 
> Y'all thought Crosshair was going to attack Echo. Without Wrecker he's just threats. I love Echo to much to do that to him. 
> 
> I accidentally typed Tex instead of Rex and can you imagine if they named our poor Captain, Tex instead of Rex? Yeehaw.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Leave me some feedback! Tell me what you liked and didn't like.

Wrecker and Crosshair take up the front of the group, Tech and Hunter in the back. She helps Rex guide a still half consious Echo along so he can have a free hand. 

As they come upon another three way intersection she hears droids coming from two directions. Rex props Echo up against a wall as he draws both blasters. She drops down in front of him, sidearm pulled to protect him. "We can't blast our way out, there's too many of them." Rex says. 

Wrecker hands his blaster to Hunter and stretches out his shoulders and neck, she knows what that means. Hunter stands, blaster in each hand pointing them down the hall. If she didn't have to deal with Echo she would spend a little more time ogling at the sight that is the Sargent. 

"What's he doing?!" Rex yells. 

"There's a reason he's called Wrecker, Captain. You're about to find out why." She sasses from her spot on the ground. 

"Time to unleash the wrecking ball!" Wrecker calls as he flips his helmet down onto his head. She can hear droids being torn apart and thrown this way and that. One of them shouts but doesn't stand a chance. 

"I honestly feel bad for those droids." Hunter crouches next to Rex, looking out into the terror that Wrecker is inflicting on the battle droids. 

"That's not the only reason they call him Wrecker." She murmurs under her breath to herself. She keeps an eye on Echo's vitals, he's stable for now, but probably in a lot of pain. "When we get back to the ship I'll get some meds into ya. Just hang on a little longer." Her voice is soft and caring. She shouldn't have doubted him like that, just because the others did. She knows Echo, has known Echo. He would never betray his people willingly. 

"It's all clear!" Wrecker calls to them from the other end of the corridor. 

She hauls Echo off the ground with Rex's help and they continue to move down the hall. "More droids." Tech announces. 

She watches as Crosshair steps in front of the group, a stack of mirrors in hand. This is something she has witnessed only a handful of times. It's difficult to calculate the trajectory of a blaster bolt on a large space, but this is the perfect spot to use the trick. "Go. I'll buy you some time." Crosshair throws a mirror at one of the droids as he waves the group on. She watches his second shot ricochet off the mirror and take out three more droids before Rex drags Echo away. 

"We'll meet you at the infiltration point." Rex tells Cross. 

"Oh!' Wrecker groans. "He's going to try and top me. You watch!" 

She laughs. "You know the deal. Whoever wins." Her voice comes off as playful and seductive. Rex looks over at her but doesn't ask any questions. 

They take a few more turns before they all stop. "This is the infiltration point." Hunter tells them. 

"I'm picking up dozens of droids on my sensors." Tech's equipment blares alarms. "All heading this way." 

General Skywalker rounds the corner at a run. "Hope you aren't waiting for me." 

"Now all we're missing is Crosshair." Hunter worries. 

Speak of the devil himself, Cross rounds the corner, throwing mirrors as he sprints towards them. "You miss me?" He brings his rifle up to his shoulder. "How touching." He fires a single shot that ricochets off the mirrors taking out the squads of droids. Well she knows who won this one. It's going to be quite the night. 

Wrecker stands and balks at the destruction. Hunter elbows him. "Relax, Wrecker. You'll top him next time." He teases. 

"No, he won't." Cross chimes. 

Wrecker groans. 

Everyone hops through the access hatch and onto the ship. "Strap in." Tech advises. 

Rex drops Echo into a seat and she moves to strap him in, if she knows Tech, and she does, this maneuver isn't going to be easy on any of them. She sits down next to him and straps herself in. "Let me know when I can get up." She calls towards the cockpit, Tech gives her a thumbs up. 

"Detaching now. Hold on." He calls and she braces for the maneuver as he rockets the ship through space.

When they're righted again he gives the all clear and she jumps up and unstraps Echo, grabbing her med kit. She slips off his helmet and he blinks at her, giving her a lazy smile. "You're worried. That's your worried face." He croaks. 

"You were electrocuted. You should be worried too." She places a hand on his gloved cheek.

"I'm tougher than I look." He says. "You made sure of that." His eyes sparkle.

She feels guilty for accusing him of betraying his brothers. She sighs, "I'm sorry I doubted you. I shouldn't have-"

Echo cuts her off by reaching for her helmet and tugging it off. "It's alright, Wildflower. I understand." He says dropping her helmet to the ground and taking a hold of her hand. 

She's snapped back into her surroundings when she hears General Skywalkers voice. "I've got a present for you, Wrecker." 

From what little she can see it seems the General has a detonator in his hand. "Watch, he's gonna get teary eyed." She nudges Echo. 

"Oh, seriously? I get to blow it up? The whole stinking thing?" Wrecker asks excitedly. Crosshair shakes his head. Wrecker brushes a tear from his bad eye. "This is the happiest day of my life." 

"Told ya." She laughs as he presses the button. She flinches at the sound of a whole fleet blowing up behind them and watches as debris rains down towards the planet below. "That makes up for Cross getting the winning kill streak." 

\----------------------------

She stands with the rest of her team as the three generals and Commander Cody come and stand before them. The evening light shining down around them. 

General Windu crosses his arms as he speaks. "Captain Rex, Corporal Echo, and Clone Force 99. You have all done a great service for the Republic. Thanks to your courage and effort, Republic shipyards will be soon up and running again." 

General Kenobi speaks once he turns away. "You've got some medals coming your way." Medals. How cute. 

"Thank you General." Captain Rex says as they all walk off. 

The group turns and heads towards the ship. Echo stops and looks at them. "You coming?" 

She smiles when Tech speaks. "Not really our thing." 

Cross takes the toothpick from his mouth. "Accolades." 

"Yeah, we're just in it for the thrill!" Wrecker expresses. 

"Sorry, Sweetie." She shrugs with a grin. 

"You sure it's your thing?" Hunter asks. Is... is that an offer for him to join the team? She thought she would have to leave Echo behind. What if he accepts? 

"What do you mean?" Echo's eyes flit between him and the ground. 

"Your path is different. Like ours. If you ever feel like you don't fit in with them, well, find us." Hunter tells him. She's never heard him talk like that. He sounds sincere, offering Echo a spot on his team. 

Hunter nods and they all turn away, she lingers for a moment to smile at Echo. A sweet smile. She nods and turns away. This isn't goodbye. She knows that, it still breaks her heart to leave him behind. 

\---------------------------------

Echo watches as they turn away from him. Wildflower stops and smiles at him, before she too nods and turns to leave with her team. Hunter is right. He is different. He sees it when he looks in the mirror, when the other vod look at him. He's a freak now. But, Rex. He won't have any one if he leaves.

Rex moves up to stand beside him. "Those are some of the finest troopers I've ever fought alongside." Echo stares as they walks away, helmets tucked under their arms, they chat amongst themselves, Wrecker throws his arm around Wildflower and she laughs. "Echo." Rex grabs his attention. "You and I go way back. If that's where you feel your place is, then that's where you belong." Rex turns and starts to walk off, letting him make the decision for himself. 

He can't stay here. He can't. Everywhere he looks, he sees Fives. He sees his fallen batch mates. He's the last one left. This is a chance for him to start over. Be with people who understand him. He watches their backs for a few more seconds before he makes up his mind. "Hey, wait up." 

\--------------------------------

She turns at the sound of Echo's voice and almost sobs when he sees him walking towards them. He chose to be with them. With her. Her heart feels like it's going to explode. She waits at the bottom of the stairs with the rest of the team as he catches up to them. 

He turns to Rex once more and salutes. One last time. Everyone else follows suit. This is a new beginning. Not only for Echo, but for Rex as well. She salutes Rex with as much respect as she can muster. It takes a lot to let go of someone you love. He deserves every once of respect he's given. 

When Rex turns to leave she can see a sad smile on his face. She turns to the rest of her squad, and takes a look at each one. Misfits, freaks, defectives, she doesn't care. They are perfect to her and that's all that matters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! Another chapter done. One more silly little chapter and this part will be finished. My laptop goes in for repairs tomorrow morning, hopefully it will be done by the middle of next week. Maybe I'll come up with a plot for the next part. Gives me some ideas? 
> 
> Hope y'all are staying safe and sane out there!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one night? Hell yeah. Thanks for reading, let me know what you think!

Echo listens to the moans that come out of the bunk room, his face on fire. He swears he's going to burst into flames. Another moan escapes Crosshair and he wants to rip out his ear drums. "Could you be any more dramatic?" He hears Wildflower laugh. 

"Harder, Lieutenant." Crosshair gets _louder._

He looks around at the others sitting around the ship and they don't seem to be taking any notice of the sounds. Tech sits and tinkers with his handheld device and Wrecker sits reclined in the pilots seat. Hunter doesn't look up from the datapad he's reading. Is this a regular thing? What is she doing to him? 

\--------------------------------

She laughs as Crosshair moans again as she works on one of the knots in his shoulder. She let's magic course through her fingertips as she works. Cross is like putty beneath her, spread out on his bunk, arms tucked under his pillow as she works on his back. The deal was whoever got the highest kill count got a massage from her, using the new technique she studied from one of her books. It seems that it works exactly how the book said it would. 

She works along his spine and his volume goes up a notch. "Can you be any more dramatic?" She laughs. 

He looks over her shoulder at her, and the smirk on his face is pure evil. "Harder, Lieutenant." 

She almost collapses with how hard she laughs. She tries get any kind of carbon dioxide into her system as her laughs fade into gasping breaths. She can only imagine what poor Echo thinks is going on in here. The thought alone sends her into another fit. 

\--------------------------------

Crosshair gives her a dopey smile when he sits up. He hasn't been this loose in sometime. She somehow even managed to get the spot in his rifle shoulder worked out. 

He pulls her into a sloppy kiss before he stands, not even bothering to put the top half of his blacks back on as he strolls out into the ship with her toddling behind her. 

Echo's face is bright red when he makes eye contact, his eyes wide. Hunter looks up from his mission report to take in the scene. A smirk paints his face. He provides Echo a short explanation "She has magic hands."

\-------------------------------

She tries desperately to hold in her laughter as Tech and Echo look up to see both her and Cross come out of the bunk room. Echo's face is bright red and Tech has his magnifying goggles on as he works on the delicate inner workings of his handheld. Her knees hit the ground as she howls when Cross speaks, a smirk painted on his lips, "She has magic hands." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that concludes this part! Stay tuned for the next part! Give me a few ideas, my laptop will be in the shop until the middle of next week. See you guys soon!


End file.
